


Defying Gravity

by skihale



Category: Lost Boys (1987)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-02-08 07:09:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1931439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skihale/pseuds/skihale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and his family have moved to Santa Carla to escape the views of his ability as a Seer. Now that he's in the city of death however, his normal mirage of visions is calmed to the point of being able to function like a normal human being. He soon finds that the cause behind this is one of the members of our favorite group of vampires; The Lost Boys. Rated M. Sam/Dwayne.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

This story is dedicated to my good fanfiction buddy Demi! She had allowed me to write my own take on the challenge that inspired her story 'Tell Me What I Can't See' by Demetrifever123 on Fanfiction.net. I started writing this story a little over two years ago and due to college overload, I never finished it and actually dropped off the face of the earth basically.

So, after two years I am back to finally edit, re-write, and complete this story because to be honest, it is literally one of my favorite things that I have worked on.

Now, Here are the guidelines to the challenge:

_**Summary:**_  Sam and his Family moves to Santa Carla to start a new life. Sam's brother and mother are normal people, but Sam is a Seer who can't distinguish between present and future without his soul-mate and people thinks he is crazy. They meet David and his boys, and the Frogs brothers, and all Hell breaks loose.

_**Pairings:**_ Dwayne/Sam, David/Michael, and Marko/Paul

_**Themes'/Warnings:**_  Slash, Action, Romance, Violence, Horror, Lemons, Star Bashing, Frogs' Bashings, Max as he always is, Seer Sam (like Luna/Alice (twilight) combined, just a bit more crazy), Submissive Sam, Dominant Dwayne, VERY Protective Michael (towards Sam), Very protective Dwayne and Possessive Dwayne (towards Sam), Gentle Dwayne (only towards Sam, other way he is just like he always is), Protective vampire gang (towards Sam, he is special, and Michael, but not right away), Protective Lucy (towards both her sons, a bit more towards Sam), Understanding Lucy (Toward the way the pairings will be), MPreg (maybe, you choose), etc.

_**Ratings:**_  M

_**Time-Line:**_  Begins at the very beginning of the movie or a bit past that, depends on how you want to make it.

_**Other Things:**_  Star is changed like in the Movie, but neither Dwayne, David and the gang or Michael are interested in her, She is more of an mistake from Davids part, with him "turning" her partly. Max will still be after Lucy (Sam and Micaels mother), for those who don't like Slash can make Sam and Michael females.

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost Boys or the Characters. This plot outline belongs to the Challenger, but the actual plot and storyline belong to me.**

Thank you to those who starting reading this story back when I first started it, and I hope that all of you who are new to this story enjoy it as well!

Let's hope that I get it down and finished this time!

Please continue to give feedback on each chapter!

~ Anna

 


	2. Chapter 2

~defy~

_Daylight licked me into shape,_

_I must have been asleep for days,_

_And moving lips to breathe his names,_

_I opened up my eyes…_

* * *

 

Salty air drifted through the screens of the opened windows, ruffling the sheer white curtains that contrasted against the mauve color of the walls. Opened but unpacked boxes lined the walls of the room with colorfully bright clothes hanging out over the edges. A small stack of comics lay on the night stand and the fan on the ceiling rotated at a lazy pace.

This was his new home, Sam realized as he sat on the edge of the twin sized bed in the center of the room. He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair as his light cobalt eyes glanced out of the window and watched the wave's crash up against the beach at the bottom of the hill. In the near distance a pier hung out over the viridian water that rippled and shimmered in the sun. An amusement park decorated its wooded surface and poured out into the edge of the city that was lined with shops and restaurants.

If there was one word that he could think of to describe Santa Carla, it would be strange; not only the town itself but the people in it. He guessed however that, that was the reason his mother decided that they should move in with her father. The city was on the brink of different in such a way that there was no way that they wouldn't be able to fit in, in some way. With a sigh at the sickeningly bright rays that poured through the window Sam stood from his place and walked out of the room.

His sneakers squeaked against the waxed wood floors as he made his way down the stairs only to find his brother Michael walking into the house with his barbell that held hangers of clothes on both ends. "Wanna go down to the pier when it gets dark? The amusement park looks fun." The older boy shook out his dark brown curly hair as he looked back with interested slate eyes.

After he placed the barbell on the stack of boxes beside the back door Michael turned around with a grin, "Sure why not? We can get a feel for the town." Sam smiled at the acceptance, moving to the fridge with a sway in his step. "Why do you have to walk like that Sammie?" Confused eyes looked up to him from behind the fridge door and he just sighed, "Never mind. How are your eyes today?"

They both knew that this was Michael's way of asking him how the messes of visions in his head were doing, "They're fine Mike. Constantly shifting and changing, but they aren't giving me a headache today; for once. So that's an upside." A nod was directed his way as he pulled a coke from the top shelf and tossed it to the taller. Sam had been having visions for the greater part of his life, for reasons completely unknown.

That was the reason for the move, as loathe as he was to admit it. They had come to a point that they were just tired of the judgmental teachers and doctors that had come to the conclusion that Sam was becoming insane. Though he could see where the doctors were coming from. He was in a state of constant unawareness. At times, he didn't know what day or even month it was; having relived a vision multiple times before coming back to the present.

Over the years, Sam learned to live with it and to never take what he saw for truth. It was a rare occurrence when one of his hundreds of visions came true. "What time do you want to head down?" Breaking out of his reverie, he looked up to Michael who had a worried glint in his eyes even though he was trying to hide it. He shut the fridge door and started to walk towards the living room.

"When the sun starts to set," The footsteps of his brother followed him as he made his way back up the stairs, "That way when we get down there, it'll be dark. I'm excited to see the lights!" Laughter echoed up the stairs and off the rafters above them. As he stepped into his bedroom, Michael came to lean against his doorway while he pulled some more of his things from a random box. "Wanna help me unload some boxes before we go?"

* * *

The suns last rays disappeared below the horizon as Sam stepped off of the back of Michael's bike. It was only seven o'clock, but because it was nearing the end of September it was getting dark earlier. Flashing lights from the various booths, stores, and rides glowed down on his face that lit up in an excited expression. "Let's stay together for now and if we want to split up later then we can." Michael nodded, not really wanting to let his brother out of his sight in the first place. What if Sam had one of those episodes? Shaking his head, he found himself praying that it wouldn't happen and ruin Sam's night.

During their first night at the pier they navigated through the booths with curious eyes. Most of the sales were rip-offs they found with amusement and the food was actually pretty good. They rode the Dizzy Tizzy and Rolling Thunder several times until Sam was green in the face and Michael had to drag him away laughing. It was then as his brother was walking him towards the game booths that he saw him.

Those deep hazel eyes locked with his as he took in the man's appearance. He was at least a foot taller than himself with a mane of dark brown hair and sharp features of tanned skin. Broad shoulders wore an open leather jacket that revealed his muscled chest and stomach, the tight charcoal jeans gracing his legs. There was something about the man that he recognized; he had seen him somewhere, but where?

Blinding white flashed behind Sam's eyes as his knees buckled under him and he fell with a thud to the ground, eyes rolling to the back of his head. Images of the man and three others raced across the screen of his mind in different scenarios, having fun and moving as a pack. They were different; they were strange. There was something about them.

Michael felt the sharp tug as he heard the thud and he wiped around as Sam's hand slipped off his arm. At the sight of his little brothers body going into a full body seize he fell to the ground beside him in horror, "Sammie!" He lifted the blonde head into his lap and tried to control the tremors that wracked the smaller boy. "Sam! Sammie, wake up!" The crowd gathered around them quickly, whispering all the while.

Not once did he look up however even as someone ran off to find the stand-by paramedic team. With a last rough jerk Sam shot up into a harsh ninety degree angle, eyes wide at the things that he'd witnessed. Beside him Michael sighed in relief as the whispers around them grew louder at the scene. "Mikey, let's go home. I'm tired." A yawn ripped from his throat as the older boy pulled him to his feet and half held him up.

As they walked through a break in the crowd, Sam caught the eyes of the mysterious man once again before Michael pulled him around the corner to the parking lot. When he was sure that they were alone, he glanced down at the shorter. "What did you see?" It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Michael about the men in his visions; it was just that he was sure that his brother would meet them soon enough.

"I'm not completely sure," Michael bought the half-truth for the whole as they found his bike and climbed on. The engine roared to life as they drove back through the streets and up the hill to their new home. Wind blew around Sam bringing a smile to his face as the sound of the crashing waves rose to his ears. He had to admit that it was more peaceful here than it was in Sacramento.

It was strange, he had to admit. Ever since they had arrived in Santa Carla, his visions had been nearly...manageable. Everything inside his head moved at a steady pace to which he could remember them as if they were merely dreams. He still wasn't sure if they were real or false; but it was nice to be able to borderline think for a change. Still, he had to wonder what caused the abrupt change. Yesterday he was lost in a sea of flashing pictures in Sacramento, and today he was as clear as scotch watching a movie in Santa Carla.

As they pulled to a stop in the drive Sam stepped off of the back leaving his thoughts behind and waited as the older walked the bike into the garage. He looked down at the brightly lit town and pier with a small smile; if he was suddenly only seeing true visions, then Michael would meet the men tomorrow night. The gravel crunched behind him and he turned to find that his brother had finished. "Let's go to bed, I'm exhausted."

Looking at his wrist watch, he found himself agreeing as he stepped into the house, "Night Mikey." Sam smiled as Michael ruffled his hair in affection. The two headed up the stairs quietly and separated at his bedroom door. With one last grin, he closed the door softly and walked into the dark room, collapsing on the bed.

After a moment of just burrowing his face in the pillow, Sam flipped himself over and stared at the rotating fan with risen eyebrows. He didn't understand anything he had seen in the abrupt visions from the boardwalk. It was just a jumble of events that seemed to have happened in the past, though past visions weren't foreign to him; it was still strange.

Shaking his head, he changed his clothes and snuggled up underneath the covers. He'd figure everything out as he went; there was no reason to stress over something that he wasn't sure of. As he drifted off to sleep he felt content in the strange but comfortable surroundings.

* * *

 ... _And found myself alone,_

Alone above a raging sea,

That stole the only boy I loved,

And drowned him deep inside of me.

~defy~


	3. Chapter 3

~defy~

_It's empty in the valley of your heart,_

_The sun, it rises slowly as you walk,_

_Away from all the fears,_

_And all the faults you've left behind…_

* * *

 

The smell of sweat and excitement drifted in the air as Sam swayed along to the beat that pounded from the speakers. It was the next night and he had asked Michael to take him to the pier once more. At first his brother was reluctant, what with the episode from the night before; but with the promise that if anything happened they'd go home, he agreed. A heavily muscled man owned the stage, playing his saxophone as if he'd die if he didn't and Sam couldn't help the way that his body was moving with the crowd around him.

Bodies swayed back and forth, twirling and twisting, and he honestly couldn't tell just why his body swirled around the way it was. Beside him the taller boy was looking at him in amusement, fighting the instincts to dance that Sam wasn't. "You are something else Sammie." He flashed the older boy a grin and a wink as he rotated his hips, raising his arms above his head. Apparently he did something wrong because Michael snuffed out a cackle of laughter and he stopped what he was doing.

"What?" He demanded as the snorts and muffled laughter continued to escape his brothers' throat. Michael grinned widely at the question before shaking his head, not feeling the least bit guilty of making Sam feel so self-conscious, "What it is Mikey?" Sighing heavily he just turned back to the stage when the older refused to answer, "Whatever." All around him the crowd continued to move in what could be considered sinful ways, but he refused to go back to his earlier dancing; for now he was determined to just enjoy the atmosphere.

After a few moments he turned to his brother, ready to leave the auditorium and to find something to eat. Michael was looking away from the stage and up through the crowd, completely ignoring his surroundings. Confused to the way he was acting, Sam turned and searched the stands for whatever it was that had the dark haired boy so entranced. There on one of the sound out-cropping's stood a girl with long wavy brown hair and ebony black eyes. At her side stood a young boy with shaggy cinnamon hair that wore a jean jacket.

"Michael, I don't think she's..." He muttered as the usual white of his visions flashed behind his eyes, his hand coming up to grip the shoulder of Michael's jacket so that he wouldn't fall. Worry came to Michael's face as he wrapped his arm around Sam's waist, pulling him close to that he wouldn't collapse again, "Don't mess with her Mike, she's bad news." His brother only nodded down at him, but he could tell that Michael didn't fully believe what he was saying. After all, his visions weren't always trust worthy.

"Come on let's go get you something to eat. You wanna head home?" A quick jolt of fear raced up his spine as Sam shook his head in the negative, "Alright, we'll walk around some more, but if you have another vision Sammie…" He left the threat hanging, but he knew that the younger understood. They were soon seated at one of the many picnic tables on the edge of the pier, with burgers and fries laid out in front of them. "If we hurry we can actually check out the game booths tonight." With a nod, Sam picked up a few fries and fed himself.

As he took a sip of his diet coke, goose bumps rose along his flesh as the feeling of someone watching him rose in his chest. It's him. Glancing up from the table, his eyes locked with the hazel eyed man of the night before. He stood leaning against the railing of the pier. Tonight he had the three other boys surrounding him, a long haired blonde dressed in ripped red pants and a baggy loose shirt, the smallest one with blonde curly hair wearing brightly colored clothing, and what looked to be the leader with spiked blonde hair and foreboding blue eyes. It seemed as if they were scoping out something; what that would be Sam hadn't a clue, but it had to be important.

At that moment, the girl from earlier twirled by their table purposefully drawing Michael's attention and breaking the gaze that Sam held. He watched as his brother stared after her and as he made to get up Sam gripped onto his wrist tightly, "Mike. I know that my visions aren't exactly reliable…" He trailed off as if to gather his thoughts and to decide on the best use of words, "I saw that if you went with her… She'd seduce then murder you Mike." Michael's eyes went wide at what he was telling him, clouding with doubt and worry, "Please Mike."

Slowly, the older boy sank back down into his seat staring balefully at the rest of his uneaten food, "You're completely sure?" It took him a moment, but Sam nodded at his brother in complete confidence, "You've been having a lot of episodes lately Sammie, but I trust you." The grin that split across his mouth was sure to crack his face, but Michael just gave a small smile back before going back to his food. Sam knew that it seemed that he was just trying to keep the older from having fun, so obviously Michael would be disappointed. The vision that he'd had though; Sam shivered before looking back to the railing of the pier.

A sigh escaped his mouth when he found that the group of boys had disappeared. As he went back to his food it suddenly felt like someone was digging into his jacket pocket and Sam quickly looked down to see a tanned hand retreating. Glancing up he watched as the hazel eyed man walked away without looking back. A tap on his shoulder had him turning back around to find Michael looking at him curiously, "It's nothing. I thought that I saw mom." At the nod he received, Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket. Unfolding it he forced himself not to smile.

_Dwayne._

"What's with the look?" The question brought him crashing down to earth as his wide eyes shot up to look at an amused looking Michael. Sam laughed albeit a bit nervously as he shoved the slip of paper back into his pocket. He shrugged helplessly and all his brother did was grin and chuckle, "Someone looks like they have a crush." A small blush lit upon his features as the embarrassment rose to the surface.

Making sure that he wasn't going to be over heard he hissed, "I don't even know the guy first and foremost!" The shocked look on Michael's face was enough to make him smile widely; it was always nice to have an upper hand to his brother. It took long moments before the curly haired boy blinked and then burst into laughter. Rolling his eyes Sam stood from the table and gathered up all of his trash, walking away swiftly causing Michael to rush after him, "I saw one of the games yesterday where you can win a huge stuffed dog. I'm gonna try to get it."

The amused snort that followed after him did nothing to ruin his re-found excitement as he led their way through the crowded boardwalk. They broke out of the crowd as they reached a set of stairs that led down to the sand of the beach and Sam could see the game booths that were just a little further up the pier. He was just about to start towards them when that chill of being watched crawled across his back. Glancing to the left he found the hazel eyed man, Dwayne, sitting on his bike with the others around him. His felt the smoldering eyes run over him as he stood stock still.

That was until Michael grabbed his elbow to pull him forward; never noticing the group that seemed to watch them. Just before he was pulled back into the crowd he raised his hand and quickly waved to Dwayne, just being able to see the corners of his lips quirk upwards. When the man was out of his sight, Sam couldn't help the wide smile that took over his face; the giddy feeling in his chest involuntary. "Which one did you want?" His blue eyes looked up to see that they were standing in front of the game booth he had mentioned.

When his eyes fell on the large over stuffed panda with a green bow around its neck, the excitement from before bled into his features as he gripped Michael's arm and pointed excitedly, "That one!" His brother looked up from the actual game to the prize and his eyes widened before he looked to Sam in exasperation, "I know I said a dog, but look at how cute it is! How could I not at least try?" The older rolled his eyes in amusement and pulled out his wallet. They both tried to knock down the bottles that seemed to either be weighted down or glued together and ended up wasting fifteen dollars on the game.

Finally with a sigh of defeat Sam told the taller boy to put away his wallet and mentioned that he wanted something for dessert. Michael nodded even though he still eyed the panda with a look that clearly stated that this wasn't over. Chuckling softly he took hold of the boys arm and walked them back the way they came, heading towards the ice cream parlor beside the parking lot. When they finally made it to the shop, Sam's eyes widened at all of the different flavors; and after thinking over each one carefully he chose the black cherry sorbet.

The clerk handed him the medium cup of sorbet and Michael grimaced at it, "If I didn't know better I'd say that was frozen blood." Sam eyed his treat with risen eyebrows and yes he did have to admit that if you had a really twisted mind, like his brother, he supposed it did look a bit like frozen blood. As soon as the older boy had paid they made their way to the benches just outside of the store and sat down to watch the crowd rush by as they finished their ice cream.

"Thanks for bringing me down here again," Michael only nodded his answer as he had a mouth full of the frozen treat, "Do you think we can come back tomorrow night? There's still a lot of stuff to check out. I bet it'll take a month to see everything, or more!" He grinned when his brother snorted and just nodded again. Content with the fact that he was going to see the mysterious Dwayne again tomorrow, Sam quieted down as he leaned back against the bench.

Once the door of the house was gently shut, Sam ran up the stairs as quietly as possible so that he could jump in bed. After they'd finished their sorbet, they agreed to check out the comic book shop and the piercing station by the movie rental store, before they headed home. By the time they were in the drive he was physically and mentally exhausted; yet he was so excited to go back tomorrow.

When he stepped into his room he almost screamed at the shadowed figure on his bed, but bit his tongue as to not wake anyone up. He slowly closed the door behind him before he whispered, "Hello?" His voice shook nervously as a slight fear rose within him. Nothing answered his inquiry and he carefully reached for the light switch on the wall; and with a click the room was illuminated in artificial light.

The figure on the bed didn't even flinch and when he saw just who or what it was a wide grin lit up his features as his eyes softened. There in the middle of the bed sat the very panda he had tried so hard to win. It didn't take five seconds of thought to have the suspicion as to who had brought it; with that same grin he fingered the paper in his pocket.

* * *

_...The harvest left no food for you to eat,_

_You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see,_

_But I have seen the same,_

_I know the shame in your defeat._

~defy~


	4. Chapter 4

~defy~

_Another loose cannon gone bi-polar,_

_Slipped down, couldn't get much lower,_

_Quicksand's got no sense of humor,_

_I'm still laughing like hell…_

* * *

 

Auburn rays of sunlight sank below the horizon as Sam stood at the very end of the pier, watching the waves ripple and crash against the wooden posts that held him up. He counted down by the second as the sky became black and the stars above him began to shine. That small excited smile played on his lips as he turned his back on the water and walked towards the crowds that hurried about on the boardwalk.

For the first time since coming to the pier his brother had decided that they could split up; with the promise that if anything happened to him that Sam would find him, but they split up none the less. Of course that also came with Michael's promise to not go with the strange girl from before. The older boy had looked reluctant to say such a thing; in the end however with use of Sam's puppy dog eyes, he promised and the younger was satisfied.

Once the promises and vows had been made, Michael disappeared into the crowd and Sam finally let the excited grin out on his features. He would get to see Dwayne tonight with no distractions from his brother. Sighing in slight contentment, he stepped around the different people and made his way into the Comic Book store that he'd seen earlier. While he liked the colorful books, his brother wasn't fond for them; and this was his first chance to see what they had without Michael's sarcastic comments about how much of a dork Sam was.

As he wondered down the aisles and explored the different shelves, his eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance at the utter disorganization. The Batman's were with the Night Crawler Chronicles; he paused as he glanced down through the mess of comics. After a second glance, it wasn't exactly that everything was shoved together. There were proper sections, the Batman's, the Superman's, the Green Lantern's, and so forth; it was that there were what looked to be Vampire Horror comics mixed in with everything.

Shaking his head at the now prominent organization, he began to leaf through the Superman rack; blatantly ignoring the horror comics. Eventually he sighed in frustration and looked up, before jumping back a step when he found a boy slightly taller than himself and wearing a bandana staring him down, "Can I help you?" Sam put a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart. It was not cool to scare someone like that.

"You like comics?" The question was flat, if not a little creepy and Sam felt himself backing up a step more. He nodded slightly and an indistinguishable magazine was shoved in his face from the side. Yelping a bit he grabbed the book as it fell into his hands and glanced up to see a dark haired boy wearing army gear standing next to him. Shivers ran up his spine at the gazes of the two weird boys as he looked down at the comic; Blood Suckers Last Stand.

Frowning deeply Sam shoved the comic back at the closest boy and looked up, "I don't like horror comics." A small chuckle came from the one across the shelf as he walked away to the register to help someone with their purchases. Shaking his head he started to walk out of the store, silently vowing to himself to never come back, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning slightly he found the second boy staring at him in a way that could be considered stalker like.

"Be careful, they're out there." With the words said the strange boy walked away and disappeared into the shelves. Completely freaked out, Sam rushed out of the store doors and ran into what felt like a brick wall. He fell to the ground with a painful thud, landing harshly on his ass. For a moment he just laid there, collecting the breathe that had been knocked out of him; before leaning up on his elbows and glancing up to see just what he had run into. Chilling blue eyes glared down at him and Sam felt himself sneer up at the leader of the mysterious group that he'd become quite enamored with.

The curly blond haired boy that stood next to the snarling man grinned down at him and reached out his hand, "You alright? Don't mind David, he's a jerk sometimes." His expression immediately morphed at the friendly attitude being bestowed and Sam took the offered hand with a smile. Once on his feet he dusted his clothes of the sand and glanced back at David with a frown. The man was rolling his eyes at the smaller man's behavior and he found himself amused.

"Yeah, I'm fine, needs to stop acting like he's a fucking wall." The startled laugh that escaped the brightly dressed man made Sam's smile widen. As he calmed himself down, the rocker with dark purple jeans appeared from the crowd stepping up to them with Dwayne. Even though he felt the hazel eyes of the dark haired Adonis on him, he refused to be fazed; though when the rocker saw David's expression and the severe amusement of the shorter man, he grinned in delighted confusion.

There was a short moment before he spoke up with a snort, "Who stole the icicle from David's ass and why is Marko killing himself laughing?" This caused Marko to startle in to shoulder wracking laughter once more, this time with Sam joining him. Confused, the man looked to Dwayne with a raised eyebrow, "What did I say?" The dark haired man shrugged in an uncaring way and looked around at the passing crowd.

When he'd gained back the ability to speak and was in no way going to start laughing again Marko looked at Sam with a grin that would surely split his face, "You're not too bad kid. I'm Marko by the way, that's Paul," the rocker nodded, "You've met David and that's Dwayne." Sam's eyes drifted to the towering man with a nod of his own, meeting his eyes for only a second before turning back to Marko.

"Nice to meet you, though you're friend could work on his personality." David looked ready to bite his head off, if Marko hadn't been standing between them; something about his attitude just rubbed him the wrong way. All Sam did was tick an eyebrow at him and cross his arms, cocking his hip to the side. He knew in fact that he was striking the very pose a girl would if she was severely pissed off, so it was no surprise when Paul laughed happily and even Dwayne gave an amused smirk.

"We're still working with him on it," Marko almost tripped when the taller man shoved him harshly, but all the blond did was grin back over his shoulder, "As you can see our efforts aren't going well." Sam nodded as he finally noticed Michael walking through the crowd looking as if he was searching for someone. Rolling his eyes he looked at Marko with a sheepish grin.

Suddenly Michael spotted him and Sam felt the blood drained from his face; though he had to be thankful that from where his brother was standing he couldn't see the group of boys. This was not how he foresaw his brother meeting them. In a quick rush to prevent the premature meeting, Sam laughed nervously and started to skirt away towards the crowd, "You know it was nice to meet you all, but I've got to go." As his brother started to weave through the crowd, Sam panicked as he waved quickly to the men before rushing forward into the people to meet Michael half way. "Mike!" He called as the older boy almost passed him.

"There you are Sammie," When he finally saw his brother close up Sam couldn't help the wide grin that took over his face at the large overstuffed dog that Michael held in his hands. A bright orange ribbon was tied around its neck and the red cloth tongue hung out of its stitched mouth. He laughed as the taller boy gave him a small embarrassed shrug before handing the dog to him, "You just seemed let down the other night."

Red flushed Sam's cheeks as he held the large animal close to him, his turn to be embarrassed; he had acted like that hadn't he. "Thanks Mike," He smiled at his older brother and the boy smiled back as the awkwardness was lifted, "You wanna grab something to eat?" For a moment Michael looked around searchingly before shaking his head in the negative.

"I'm not really hungry yet, I'm gonna walk around a little more. You go ahead and get something though if you're hungry," Sam nodded and with the go ahead, Michael turned and disappeared into the crowd once more. A look of confusion and worry placed itself firmly on his face until he felt warm breathe on his neck, causing him to yelp loudly and whip around to find Marko standing behind him with a smirk.

Rolling his eyes, Sam rose his eyebrows in a clearly annoyed expression. The smirk widened as he motioned towards the dog, "Boyfriend of yours?" Bile rose in his throat as the images of his brother and him in forbidden positions raced to the forefront of his mind. For a moment he gagged and went green in the face before shaking it off to glare at the short blond.

"That is utterly disgusting, he's my brother." Marko only chuckled at the information and once more motioned to the dog in Sam's arms, "He got it for me because I had wanted it the other night and apparently I seemed let down." The colorful man nodded with a smile as he chewed on the pinkie of his glove, looking off into the crowd. When it seemed that he wasn't going to speak again, Sam turned to walk off towards the food booths.

Before he was our of earshot the man behind him spoke up, "But you still like Dwayne's panda better." It was a statement instead of a question and it caused Sam to stop in his tracks, his eyes going wide in shock. Long seconds of screaming silence rang in his ears, even though he knew that the noise around him was staggering. He whipped around to question the man, but when he did Marko was gone having disappeared into the sea of people.

How the hell did Marko know about the panda? Did the group tell each other everything? Were they that close? He had a feeling that everything that was happening had just shifted in a steep downhill slope and that his stomach was going to have that free fall feeling until he found the next scene. As his heart rate rose, Sam's vision went white and he fell limp to the ground as his body seized; the vision flashing through his mind.

* * *

 ... _You think that by crying to me,_

_Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe,_

_You've been infected by a social disease,_

_Well then take your medicine._

~defy~


	5. Chapter 5

~defy~

_There's a place downtown,_

_Where the freaks all come around,_

_It's a hole in the wall,_

_It's a dirty free for all…_

* * *

 

Screams echoed through the darkness as Sam stepped through dense space and onto a stone on the edge of the shadows. He could see nothing in the darkness as he scrunched his eyes to adjust. Minutes passed and the horrifying screams grew louder, blood-curdling and gruesome; the sound of flesh tearing and liquid splashing causing shivers to wrack his body. Fear gripped his chest as he stepped forward to the next stepping stone.

The black around him lightened into a gray and the outline of a door appeared a few steps ahead. Bright white light shone through the cracks and onto his face. He took a moment to gather his wits and he took another step forward; the light brightening around him to a dull pink. With a grasp of fleeing courage he took the last step forward as the room around him became doused in blood red, grabbing the doors handle and swinging it open.

Gut deep fear wracked through him as his hand wandered up to cover his mouth; horror tearing through his heart as the scene in front of him registered in his muddled brain. The group that he had become so entranced with danced around a camp fire in the middle of the room. Dismembered bodies littered the floor and nothing but laughter echoed off the walls. Horrible demented laughter that sent chills up his spine.

Suddenly the smallest of the men spun on his heels and then he was directly in front of Sam. The expression on the mans face made Sam yelp and try to step back, only to be blocked by the door. He tried to sink into the wooden frame as Marko stepped forward, his head cocked to the side, "Hey Sammie." A grin lit on his face and showed off the elongated canines in the blondes' mouth, the sharp angles of his cheek bones narrowing and his golden eyes flashing red around the edges.

Then Marko grabbed his hand and dragged him forward towards the fire, grip never loosening despite how much Sam tried to get away, "Sammie! What a surprise!" Paul walked around the fire with a stupid grin that looked out of place on his morphed face, eyes twinkling in the dull light, "Lover boys over there." He tripped on his feet as he was shoved in a random direction, but before he could fall strong arms caught him; saving him from a scratchy fate.

Shaking his head he looked up only to shrink into himself as the face of Dwayne smirked down at him. His face was contorted in the same sharp angles and glowing eyes as the others, his canines peeking through his lips. As Sam tried to back up the man grinned down at him and leaned forward with laugh. Breath caught in his throat as Sam stood as still as possible before he felt warm breath on his ear, "Don't be frightened Sam."

Opening his eyes, Sam looked up at the man with wide eyes. How was he, not supposed to be afraid? If his inclination was correct, Dwayne had just helped in the murder of the bodies around him. Not people, they weren't people anymore. "Did you do this?" The grin disappeared and a serious look took over the taller man's expression; more horrifying than the smirk ever was.

"Not by want Sam."

* * *

An explosion erupted around him as everything disappeared and he sat up straight into the arms of the person holding him. He gasped in air as quickly as possible, feeling as though he'd just run a marathon. Goose pimples rose along his clammy skin and he shivered as the breeze seemed to blow right through him. The world quickly came into focus around him and he looked into the worried green eyes of Paul, who was kneeling beside him on the boardwalk, "You alright? Scared the shit outta me kid, you started seizing." Taking a deep breath, he nodded to the rocker and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet; albeit his knees were still a little shaky.

"I'm fine," Sam pulled away from the taller man with a sharp tug and he gave it a second to steady himself. Once he was sure that his legs wouldn't give out, he turned to take a step towards the stairs to the beach, only to have his knee buckle on the first step. Paul caught him before he could hit the ground and shifted so that he was supporting more than half of Sam's weight.

"Uh-huh, yeah right, you're fine." Before he could protest, Paul was carrying him through the on-looking crowd towards the nearby picnic tables. Soon enough he was being set down on the nearest bench and having his feet be propped up. Frowning, Sam slapped the man's worrying hands away with a suspicious glance. Why the hell was a guy he'd just met acting like this? Maybe it was the fact that he'd gone into a full body seizure.

Leaning back onto the railing of the pier Sam watched as the green eyed rocker gave up on his hands and hopped up onto the table, crossing his legs. Just moments later Marko stepped out of the crowd with a risen eyebrow and widened eyes that narrowed in on Sam, "What the fuck? I heard people down the walk talking about some kid blondie having a seizure." Red flushed his cheeks at the words and Sam tried to shrink into the railing.

"He went into a full blown seizure Marko. Fucking scared the shit outta me." The blue eyes of the smaller man narrowed onto him with a risen eyebrow as if demanding an explanation. Shaking his head Sam turned his head to watch the crowd go by firmly ignoring the questioning glance directed his way. At the blatant action, Marko frowned and hopped onto the table beside Paul. Everything was quiet for a few minutes until someone called out his name.

Glancing towards the call, Sam felt ill as Michael weaved through the crowd and stepped in front of him, "Damn it. Are you okay Sammie? I heard people talking." At the worried expression on his brothers face his face softened, "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. Fuck." Sam carefully swung his feet onto the ground and sat up to reach his brothers shoulders; pulling down hard enough that Michael sat on the bench.

"First of all, I'm fine. Second of, calm the fuck down. Thirdly, I'm ready to go home. And fourth, you'll have to help me." An amused grin lit on the older boy's lips as he threw an arm around Sam's shoulders. A tap on his arm had him looking back to the men sitting cross-legged on the table. It was obvious that Paul was going to say something questioning and Sam jumped to stop it. "Let's go."

As Michael's attention was drawn back to him he rose an eyebrow, "Who're they?" Distrust ran through his eyes as he stared at the strange men. The smaller blond grinned at him as he chewed on the pinkie of his glove, blue eyes flashing. Sighing Sam lifted himself to his feet only to have Paul jump off the table and steady him; ready for if he fell again. At the action his brother stood as well, glaring at the rocker with a frown.

"They're nobody. Don't get involved."

Soft laughter rose to his ears and he turned to see David walk up with Dwayne by his side, "Who is this Sammie?" As Sam looked up into the leaders eyes, he struck the pose that he had earlier; as if he were a pissed off woman. Paul moved beside Dwayne as he was sure that Sam's legs weren't going to give out and Marko stood up next to Michael.

Taking one step forward Sam got in David's face and sneered, "Back off David. Just stay away from him." At the risen eyebrows he received from the man, he took Michael's arm and dragged him away from the group; leaving shocked glances following him. With firm resolve, Sam continued in the direction of the parking lot; allowing them to be immersed in the crowd, fear finally settling into his features.

"Sam, what was that back there? Who were they? What did you mean?" At the final question he stopped so fast that Michael ran into his back. There were long seconds of silence as Sam gathered his words and turned to his older brother, allowing him to see his white and frightened expression. This was enough to cause the worry to filter back into Michael's eyes, but it didn't get rid of the questions running across his face.

With an ironic smile Sam looked up at his brother as a false and rough chuckle escaped him, "Mike. I haven't been completely honest with you." The older boy stayed silent as they both walked into the secluded shadows behind the ice cream parlor. Once they were out of sight and in no danger of being overheard Sam spoke again, "Ever since we arrived in Santa Carla, when we'd come to the boardwalk; my visions have been clear and they hold only truth. They aren't false." This news sank into Michael's brain at a slow pace and once it did, his eyes went impossibly wide.

"So, the visions about the girl…" He trailed off as his face flushed a sickly green and Sam felt sympathy as his brother retched on the sidewalk next to the dumpster nearby, "That's all she was interested in. But how was she going to hurt me Sammie? That's what I don't understand. I could easily defend myself." Shaking his head it was his turn to feel sick as Michael stepped over and fanned his face with his hand, "You've already figured out that the visions are true somehow though."

When the nausea passed he looked up into the brown eyes that stared back at him; smiling as he raised a hand to Michael's face. "Not everything is as it seems Mikey. Innocence is always taken for granted. Remember that." Even as the words fell from his lips, he could feel the bile rising in his throat; this time however he wasn't able to keep his stomach as he heaved up his earlier food.

Shaking his head, Sam spat to rid himself of the bitter taste left in his mouth as he stood straight once more. He was ashamed of himself; having allowed a handsome face to lure him into a false sense of attraction. How could he have let himself become so quickly enamored with a group of men that he didn't even know? And a dangerous group of men so it seemed.

Michael looked like his was about to speak when he suddenly adopted an expression of pain with a grunt bringing a worried and horrified expression to Sam's face. The older boy slumped forward to his knees to reveal a stocky man with jet black hair, dyed with a white streak,f holding a metal rod. "You're friends with the Biker-streaks."

It was a statement instead of a fact, as if this strange man actually knew anything at all, "You'll be good pay back for Marla." As this was said a burning pain lanced across his scalp with the sound of breaking glass; he sank to the ground as his vision spotted black, a groan escaping his throat. Coarse laughter came from the man before he was struck in the head again causing his sight to go black; the last thing he saw, Michael being grabbed roughly by his hair.

* * *

 ... _There's a place I know,_

_If you're looking for a show,_

_Where they go hardcore,_

_And there's glitter on the floor._

~defy~


	6. Chapter 6

~defy~

_Sucker love, a box I choose,_

_No other box I choose to use,_

_Another love I would abuse,_

_No circumstances could excuse..._

* * *

 

Absolutely everything hurt and aching waves of pain raced through his head as Sam rolled onto his side. Springs creaked at his movement and despite knowing that he should just go back into the land of dreams, he blinked slowly as he opened his eyes. Shadows flickered against the walls of the small room and he sat up slowly even as his muscles screamed in protest. One solid wall of the room was composed completely of rock and the rest of the drywall had cracks running through it.

A broken chandelier hung in the middle of the dented ceiling and if the candles lining the old dusty dresser in the corner were accurate, the electricity didn't work either. In curiosity, he stood carefully from the side of the bed and wandered around the room. He had been laying on a platform bed with surprisingly clean sheets, covered with blankets and piled with pillows. The floor was swept clean for the most part, but dust gathered in the corners and the tapestry being used as a rug, while presentable, had stains.

Wherever he was, it was no where that he had seen before. In fact, it looked to be some kind of abandoned house; though he still couldn't explain the wall of rock on the far side of the room. He carefully walked to the old wooden door that sat crookedly on its rusty hinges and pulled it open with a bit of force. Solid black met him and for a moment he just stood there looking out into the darkness. He couldn't see anything without any light, so he picked up one of the candle sticks before returning to the open door way.

As he reached the frame the candle flickered at a light breeze from outside the door and Sam stuck the candle through the threshold, trying to see into the hall. It illuminated close to nothing however and he found that he couldn't even see the floor. Bending down he waved the flame downwards and froze in horror when the floor on his side of the door seemed to cut off and drop so many feet on the outside. Carefully taking the candle out of its holder, he dropped it from the outside and watched with tremors of fear as the candle dropped nearly six feet before finally going out.

He waited there on the ledge for a moment, waiting to hear the candle hit the floor but no sound ever came. A sudden sharp whistling sound echoed from the darkness in front of him and he scurried back, slamming the door closed as he went. When the rock of the wall behind him was firmly digging into his back, he finally stilled as the whistling on the other side of the door finally gave way to silence once more.

There was a long minute of him trying to calm his nerves before the door opened gently and Dwayne stepped through onto the floor. Sam stared up at him, almost wishing that he didn't know the reason as to how Dwayne had been able to get into the room. He might not have known where he was, but just outside the door was a sheer drop off and he knew that no human could have gotten here without a lot of lights and climbing equipment. From the look in Dwayne's eyes, both of them knew that he wasn't human.

Without a word, Dwayne closed the door behind him and stepped forward, laying a small box on the bed that he'd been carrying. Sam just watched as he kneeled down in front of him and sat on the floor. The man reached up and removed what looked like scratch cleaner from the box. It was then that the memories from in the alley finally flooded back into his head.

"Michael!" Sam began in a panic before Dwayne quietly shushed him with a knowing look. Not a whole word left the mans mouth, but still Sam was reassured that his brother was alright and being taken care of. A cool tan hand reached out and took his own smaller one, turning the palm upwards. He flinched at the sight of his own bruised and scarred up hands as Dwayne poured a little of the antiseptic on each.

Despite the pain, Sam merely hissed through it and out of instinct Dwayne leaned down to blow on them. The cool air relieved some of the pain and Sam gave the man a small smile in thanks. Just a few minutes later found his hands bandaged quite skillfully and his few bruises elsewhere fixed up with some bruise salve. The thought that Dwayne wasn't human rested in the back of his mind however and he wondered where the man had gotten the first aid kit. Surely they didn't need it.

After finishing massaging the salve into the bruise on his side, Dwayne stood and placed the kit on the dresser. Sam pulled himself to his feet and sat back down on the edge of the bed while the man walked around the room straightening the best he could. "Is this room yours?" The question was met by a meaningful stare and a small nod. "Who is caring for Michael?" This time Dwayne sighed softly and sat on the rocking chair in the corner.

"The girl." Images of the gypsy-like girl from before, the one that would have led Michael to his death came to the front of his mind. "She won't harm him." Dwayne must have sensed the fear rising in him and just like that the fear abated. Then they were immersed in the silence, with nothing but the flickering candles and chill of the air to disturb them. As Sam continued to observe the room, now taking in all of the details with the knowledge that he was safe; it really felt more homey then he had first thought.

Thought, Sam paused as he put a hand to the base of his head running his fingers through the hair they found. He could think. There were no visions darting around behind his eyes. Absolutely nothing. Since coming to Santa Carla the visions had calmed but they had never just stopped. Yet here he was with a clear head able to think clearly about anything he wished; but at the same time his head felt empty with the constant bombardment of images.

By the time that he had come back to himself, he found that Dwayne had knelt down in front of him; his fingers finding the back of his neck and angling his head so that they were meeting eye to eye. "Are you alright?" Sam simply stared at him, suddenly aware of their close proximity. If Dwayne were to lean forward just a bit more, their lips would touch and he was sure that sparks would fly.

Blood rose to his cheeks then at the thoughts as disappointment rushed through him and he suddenly wished that the visions would return. Then they could distract him from the very distracting man in front of him, that he shouldn't be distracted by. Taking in a gulp of air, he spoke calmly albeit a bit breathy, "I'm fine." Dwayne rose an eyebrow at his tone and though Sam knew that he realized the issue, the man didn't say a word about it. If anything that was teasing enough.

With a small amount of comforting pressure from Dwayne's fingers, he finally released him and walked to the door. As it's handle hit the wall with a soft thud, Dwayne turned back and reached out a hand; beaconing Sam to come to him. His feet were carrying him across the tapestry before he was aware that he had begun to move and Sam looked up at the quiet man as muscled arms wrapped around him.

The promising look of safety reflected from his hazel eyes with a nod and then the ground disappeared from beneath them. Not a sound escaped Sam though his breath did catch in his throat as he buried his face into the chest he was held to. That free fall feeling quickly dissipated as the air around them whisked by as if they were taking turns and dips through the darkness.

Never did his eyes close though his arms gripped around Dwayne's neck so tightly that he was sure the man would have choked if he had been human. Then they were suddenly standing still and everything around them was lit up even more brightly than the previous room had been. Sam, without leaving the arms holding him, looked around the room which was actually a cave from the looks of it.

Tapestries, couches, mattresses, and chairs littered the different levels of the ground. Small hollows into the walls leading to different parts of the cave were covered by sheer sheets of different colors, while the entire area was lit up by what seemed to be hundreds of candles. Sitting around on the different pieces of furniture were the rest of the group. Loud music echoed off of the walls as Paul tapped his foot to the beat singing along in a surprisingly good voice.

Marco continuously shoved Paul's boots off of his lap as he was leafing through what looked to be a magazine, even as the taller man set them back up again. While David sat calmly a wheelchair, in a piss poor mood Sam was sure. "Sam!" The shout came from the left and when Sam glanced in the direction, he found Michael standing in one of the hollowed out rooms holding the sheet aside.

Behind him, Sam could see the gypsy girl looking almost in pain as Michael rushed across the floor almost tripping on the way. Then he was being pulled into his brothers arms and he suddenly wondered where Dwayne had gone. That was until their angle was twisted and he could see the man sitting on a short ledge as if he had been there all the time.

"Where have you been? Macho man over there said that you were fine, but are you okay? Where were you?" There was a distinct snort of annoyance from who he knew was David as Sam just sort of floundered at his brothers quick fire questions, unsure of where he had been in the first place, but absolutely sure that it had been Dwayne's. Before he could answer, Michael was being led away by the girl to sit down on one of the spare couches whispering calming words to him.

Sam merely gave a small sigh before walking over and sitting on one of the piles of cushions. "I am fine Mike. Really." Michael only shrugged the girl off when he was firmly seated, but he didn't appear to want to stand back up. If the way he was slumping was anything to go by, he was probably just as sore as Sam was. "I do however have a question for David." It was then that the man finally snapped into attention. Sam looked at him in with a pinched expression, "Who the hell is Marla?"

* * *

_...In the shape of things to come,_

_Too much poison come undone,_

_Cause there's nothing else to do,_

_Every me and every you._

~defy~


	7. Chapter 7

~defy~

_Come out of things unsaid,_

_Shoot an apple off my head,_

_And a trouble that can't be named,_

_A tiger's waiting to be tamed singing..._

* * *

 

The radio played softly in the background as Marla kicked her feet onto the dashboard as the man driving the car pulled them into their usual parking spot. Looking over the book in her hands she looked out of the windshield and down on the glowing city that was Santa Carla. As the car was turned off she went on about ignoring Rod as she continued to read over the comic book that he had bought for her earlier that night. It was something stupid; about creatures that went after victims who wandered too far away from civilization. She began to giggle as he began to mouth at her neck, pushing him away with a snort.

"Get off me Rod, let me finish this part." His hands then began to run over her; across her chest and down her legs, reaching for the zip of her shorts. When his lips finally met the top of her breast she sighed and tossed the book into the floor. She unfastened the seat belt and leaned into his touches as she rose to her knees. Throwing a leg across his to straddle him, Marla pecked his lips before ripping open his vest and pulling his pants down his calves. With a little maneuvering her shorts were tossed in her seat and she ground down against him.

As the windows fogged up around them, the last bit of their attention span was relinquished and Marla found herself in a state of near bliss. Just as things were about to go her way for once, there was a loud bang of something slamming into the trunk of the car. The tires crunched against the gravel as it skid forward a bit and a fearful feeling gripped her racing heart; all thoughts of pleasure forgotten. "What the hell was that?" Rod muttered as he pulled his pants back up over his hips and wiped the steam off his window. He jerked back away from it with a shout as a morphed face of sharp angles stared in at him, "Holy shit!"

Marla let out a scream as the car lurched forward again, as if something was shoving it. As she glanced out the front she realized where they were being pushed and she quickly scrambled over the seat and into the back. Her hands fumbled to reach the car seat strapped in with the seatbelt just was the car groaned once more as the front end began to dip down over the edge of the cliff. "Rod! Help me!" She shouted as tears pooled in her eyes, being unable to get the straps undone. The man simply gave his own shout of fear before diving out of the drivers side door and onto the solid ground.

There was a sound worse than nails on a chalk board and Marla covered her ears as she cringed. When she felt a sudden breeze, she looked around herself to find that the entire roof of the car had been ripped away. "Marla!" The man shouted before a darkened figure landed on the ground in front of him, causing him to stumble back before turning and hightailing it down the path they had come. At the sight of the man leaving her, Marla felt sadness and anger grip her heart as she finally just pulled the bundle out of the car seat.

With a small jump she stepped on to the ground beside the car just before with a last shove, it tipped over the edge and fell out of sight. She watched as it tumbled and hit the cliff over and over until it finally hit the hill side, erupting into flames. Tears fell down her cheeks as she held the bundle close to her chest and ran. As fast as she could she fled down the path, unsure of how far ahead of her Rod had been. It was only when a figure dropped in front of her that she stopped. The figure appeared to be a man, but in the darkness she couldn't see his face. She began to back away as the man growled at her.

Once more she chose a random direction and took off, through the brush and trees. The forest around her began to thicken but she could hear laughs and shouts begin to follow her. Her legs burned as she came to a short stop, heaving in deep gulps of air for her aching lungs. All of the shouting behind her suddenly stopped and she closed her eyes for a moment as absolute terror began to wash over her. Shaking almost violently she looked around in the dark before leaning down quickly and shoving the bundle in her arms gently under a low bush. After making sure it would be safe, she took off into another direction.

As the red of her hair disappeared into the night, the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the moon light. For a moment he stood there, heightened ears hearing the crunch of twigs beneath her feet for almost a hundred yards before shrill screams of pain echoed back to him. He smirked at the sounds, knowing that the boys had taken care of her. Rod, so she had called the man, had been bold enough to try to steal the bottle of blood from their cave in order to change himself and his company into immortals.

The man had succeeded, but one of his boys had found them before they could actually drink from it. Shaking his head David sighed as he walked over to take the bottle out of under the bush, wondering just why the woman had gone such lengths to keep it. As he reached beneath the limbs, his fingers connected with something soft and in confusion he pulled the bundle out. A sharp cry startled him back as two brown eyes stared up at him; a baby. There was a long moment of him just staring down at the child in near horror. She had been trying to protect her child.

Footsteps came up behind him as Marko stepped up beside him, "Did you find the wine David?" When his brother didn't respond, Marko followed his gaze down onto the baby. His eyes widened before he leaned down and took it into his arms with a grim look. "Oh my god, what have we done?" David did nothing to answer him but wave him away causing Marko to narrow his eyes and fly off taking the babe with him. Knowing that he was finally alone and that nothing would hear him David let out a roar that would scare even the toughest of men as he swung his fist at a tree so hard that it tipped over like a domino.

When the dust settled around him, he gave a sigh before flashing his eyes and shifting. The ground vanished from beneath him and air whipped past him. Lights from the city became brighter as he flew closer, finally coming to land on the end of the pier out of eye sight. He walked into the crowds, keeping his eyes alert. Looking around him until he found what he was looking for. Then out of the crowd broke a girl with long wavy hair and a bright smile on her lips. Her dark eyes shown in the lights and she twirled around with her friends at the music playing from each booth.

Stepping in and out of the sea of people he followed her through the night until she bid farewell from her friends and began to walk alone towards the outskirts of town. Keeping to the shadows he waited until they were alone before stepping out and pushing her against a wall. She made to scream before his hand covered her mouth and he smirked down on her. "You'll have to do." Then they were in the air and her scream echoed into the night for no one to hear. Within minutes he landed within the cave to find Marko jostling the bundle of blankets as cries shrilled through the stale air.

Walking forward he took the baby before trailing back and all but shoving it into the frightened girls arms. "Laddie." He said flatly, while turning to the boys, "She's to take care of the child. Get her anything she needs for it." Dwayne was the only one to nod in acknowledgement before David disappeared into the system of caves leaving her with the crying babe. Truly, what had they done?

* * *

Sam gripped the edge of his cushion harshly as the vision finally abated and he was left in the center of the cave with every gaze on him. Sweat broke out across his forehead as the memories of what he had seen flashed in his head and he leaned back onto the pillows breathing in as much air as he could. Soon enough the light headed feeling dissipated as Michael had made his way over and held him still. "Sammie, are you alright? What was that?" Ignoring his brother Sam just looked across the room to where David sat as if he were on a throne.

It had been an accident that Marla had died the way she did. All of it had been a misunderstanding. The memory of the man bashing Michael over the head came and Sam frowned; Rod. "Is that what had happened David? It was an accident?" Either the man was refusing to answer or he didn't know how to answer but none the less, Sam understood. Nothing about what happened was worth worrying about really. Then again, the group sitting around in front of him was in no way human and they were killers none the less.

With a sigh Sam waved his brother off, promising that he was fine and that he would explain everything later. The music from the radio still bounced off of the walls, echoing down into the surrounded caverns and to be honest it was putting him on edge. Paul nudged Marko out of the corner of his eye and Sam finally stood from his spot with a nod to David. Michael watched in confusion as the smaller seemed to have a complete turn around on his treatment of the man.

"I think it is time for us to go home. Could someone lead us back to the boardwalk? If we're allowed to leave." Without a word, Dwayne stood from his place and motioned for the two boys to follow as Marko stood from his place on the couch. Just before they followed the men, Sam turned to David with a look of gratitude, "Thank you for helping us."

David nodded solemnly at the words and Sam turned away. They were lead through a tunnel and into another open cave nearly twice as big as the previous. In the center of the room was a broken water fountain with broken furniture and debris everywhere. Sam just glanced around quickly before he was being led up a set of splintered stairs out and into the chill of night.

He could hear the crashing of waves somewhere below them as reached the top of the staircase. Dwayne led them to where their bikes were parked. He revved the engine of his bike to life as Marko did the same with his own. Michael was encouraged to get onto the back of Marko's bike and without being prompted Sam got on Dwayne's. Then the air was rushing passed them as the trees seemed to blur together. The roaring of engines drifted back to him from the forest and he smiled into the leather of the mans jacket.

Then they were out of the trees and sand was flung up from the ground as they raced across the beach towards the pier. At the stairs leading up to the shops, the bikes were pulled to a stop and Michael was the first one off. Though he was still unsure as to what he needed to do in concern of the group of men, Sam tightened his grip around Dwayne's middle before getting off of the back himself. He followed Michael onto the deck and glanced back for only a moment to give Dwayne a small half smile as he waved. The man simply gave a short nod of acceptance before turning the bike and racing off back the way they had come with Marko close behind.

"Are you going to explain to me exactly what happened tonight?" Sam turned to Michael with a blank look before sighing and moving to lead them to where they had left his brothers bike. Without complaint the older followed and soon enough they were riding up the hill to their home. Unknowing of the time they quietly snuck inside. Before Michael could ask anymore questions Sam rushed into his bedroom and shut the door behind him gently. He walked to the window and looked out into the night, watching as the lights decorating the town began to flicker off one by one. Suddenly the magic of the pier wasn't so enrapturing anymore.

* * *

_...Confusion never stops,_

_Closing walls and ticking clocks,_

_Gonna come back and take you home,_

_I could not stop that you now know singing._

~defy~


	8. Chapter 8

~defy~

_Well I knew what I didn't want to know,_

_And I saw Where I didn't want to go,_

_So I took the path less traveled on,_

_And I'll let my stories be whispered when I'm gone..._

* * *

 Clouds drifted across the sky as Sam walked along the beach with a bag of beach gear thrown over his shoulder. It had been over a week since he had drifted back into town for the carnival and he had still yet to come to any sort of conclusion for his wavering feelings. After the vision of Marla and the accident, he had been forced out of his dreaming and thrown back down to earth quite harshly. He was forced to ask questions that he had neglected to ask before. Serious questions that required serious answers, that he had been unwilling to ask for fear that he would hear something earth shattering.

Over the few days spent on the pier under the cover of night he had been able to walk around as if he was having a very nice dream featuring a very handsome hazel eyed man. That time had come to an abrupt halt much sooner than he had expected it though and now he was left confused; unsure of what step he should take next. Before Santa Carla, he had never felt at home or within a comfortable setting. They had lived in Sacramento for less than a year when his mother decided that the next step was to move in with his grandfather.

They had moved to the northern Californian capitol from the deserts of Phoenix in order to get an assessment on his visions from proper neurological doctors. His father had been the first to claim his insanity and the first to leave when his mother choose to believe Sam. That had been just a few months before the move and to say the least, Sam was still sore over it. It wasn't to say that his father had been unloving or neglectful; the man had just been a perfectionist and the fact that his youngest son was a seer of sorts really rubbed against the grain.

A few hundred feet from the stairs that lead up the cliff to the house, Sam finally found a spot of sand that he found suitable before laying out his towel and setting his bag beside it. He stripped off his top and stretched out on the towel, allowing the rays of sun to sink into his skin. For the last couple of days, he had been coming down to the beach with the knowledge that it was one place that put him at ease. With the sound of the waves crashing against the shore surrounding him, it was easy for him to slip into his own world again.

Upon waking up the morning after their return from the cave, his brother only asked him once more about the happenings of that night. With a small shrug from Sam the older backed off, knowing that when the boy was ready he would explain. The only thing holding him back from sharing the information with his brother was that Sam just wasn't sure what he thought about the entire thing. It wouldn't have been good to explain something that he really had no stance on. What good would that do in the long run?

Sighing softly Sam glanced up above him at the clouds, careful to not look directly into the sun. They drifted over him in careless waves. He knew that Dwayne and the others were not human. That was something that he had come to terms with easier than he should have. What they were, he hadn't the slightest clue. However, there were little things here and there that he had noticed about them. A humanoid form was not their real being, they could easily fly, they fed on humans in a borderline brutal manner, David seemed to be the alpha of the group, and they moved as a pack.

When he really thought about it, there weren't that many things that they could be. Yet he wasn't willing to try and guess; he would rather hear it for himself. Maybe that was what he really needed to do. He should really go to Dwayne and ask the questions that he had to get answers from the source of the issue. Then again, he knew that Michael would never let him go to the pier without him. Sam closed his eyes with a small frown, the only way that he would be able to meet with Dwayne alone would be to sneak away and find him on his own.

A soft white flashed as the image of Dwayne leading him down the stairs from the deck and onto the sand played in his mind; his hand held delicately as he was taken beneath the pier. Soft laughter escaped him blinking furiously as he came back to himself. Above him a seagull cawed and Sam stood from his spot, packing up his towel and shirt as he went. He needed to go and get ready to meet Dwayne that night. As he walked along the beach and back up the stairs, he thought about how he would find the man once he arrived at the pier. They did seem to always find one another, he thought with a confused smile.

After setting the now sandy bag on the porch, Sam walked into the house and went straight up the stairs. Without bothering to shower, he simply dusted himself off and changed clothes; stepping into a pair of jean shorts and a casual purple t-shirt. He straightened his hair in the mirror before he finally slipped on his sneakers and left the room, passing Michael's open bedroom door on the way. "Sammie?" His name was called and he almost cringed at being caught. Stepping back he glanced through the door to find his brother setting the barbell back on the rack as he looked at him curiously. "Where are you headed?"

Thinking quickly Sam smiled, "I was heading down to the comic book store that I wanted to see the first night." Michael made a face as Sam laughed, "The one you didn't want to go to for fear of being labeled a geek." The older just stuck out his tongue before walking out of the door, ruffling Sam's hair on the way. Readjusting his hair, Sam followed Michael down the stairs; stopping by the front door. "I'll catch you later alright?"

"How long will you be?" The question hung in the air for a moment before Sam just shrugged helplessly as an answer, "Just try to be back before dark, alright?" At the deal Sam nodded with a smile before turning and walking out the door. For a moment he sort of just leaned against the surface, thanking the heavens that his brother had let him go so easily. After a quick check to make sure he had his wallet, he started to walk down the drive and then through the streets before he finally reaching the pier. Apparently it was more of a nighttime thing as he found it to be nearly deserted.

He wandered along the walk, going in and out of stores. It was nice to be able to see everything without the huge crowd in the way. By the time that he had walked the entire line of shops the sun was beginning to set and groups of people began showing up on the walk. Soon enough it was as crowded as always and Sam began to keep an eye out for the gang. Without any luck in finding them in what he considered to be a reasonable amount of time he walked into the comic shop to kill some time. He was sure Dwayne would find him. Careful to avoid being seen by the two weird clerks, he browsed the shelves for something new to read.

Once more it was brought to his awareness that the horror comics were in between nearly every other section and he frowned slightly in curiosity. Maybe the clerks thought the comics were so good that they needed to be spaced out everywhere to be seen. Giving up the fight, he reached down and picked up the closest book not even glancing at the title. As he flipped through the pages his frown began to deepen. It was a vampire comic. The creatures could fly and they had one leader who directed the rest. Their forms would shift and they moved as one. As he reached the last page he gasped and dropped the book.

Looking down to where the pages lay open, the picture facing him was of a group of vampires dancing around a fire as they preyed on their victims. A hand on his shoulder had him flinching away with a gasp and he looked up to find the boy with the bandanna watching him. "You back for more?" Sam backed away from him and fled from the store, the bells jingling behind him as he rushed through the crowd. Faces blurred together as he dodged bodies the best he could, unsure of where he was going other than the fact that it was away from the comic shop.

When he found a break from the crowd he crashed into the dock railing and leaned over it scrunching his eyes shut. It had just been a comic, but suddenly everything was clicking together in his head; like all the pieces of a puzzle. He suddenly felt nauseated and began to fan himself with his hand in an attempt to not get sick. After a few moments of taking in deep steadying breaths, he stood straight and looked up at the sky; noticing that it had finally gotten dark. With a final calming shrug, he took in his surroundings and found that he was by the stairs leading to the beach.

As glanced around him, he felt a cool hand take his and he turned to find Dwayne standing beside him. Without a word, the man gently pulled Sam after him towards the stairs. Sam wondered if he should really go with the man considering what he had found, yet he still allowed Dwayne to lead him into the sand and down the beach. He easily gripped the hand holding his own as they walked together into the shadows of the pier.

* * *

  _Well in this life you must find something to live for,_

_Cause when the darkness comes a callin',_

_You'll go back to where you were before,_

_Cause this life is as fragile as a dream and,_

_Nothings ever really as it seems..._

~defy~


	9. Chapter 9

~defy~

_When the day has come,_

_But I've lost my way around,_

_And the seasons stop,_

_And hide beneath the ground..._

* * *

 When he was slowed to a stop, Sam could see nothing but darkness under the pier. He felt Dwayne lower himself to the ground and moments later he was lowered down with him. Sam figured that this was accomplished easily as obviously Dwayne could see in the dark; but when he felt that it was the mans lap that he was set on, blood rose to his cheeks in a heated blush. Everything was silent for a moment before he felt the man shudder as he heaved an unnecessary sigh, "What you found in the book store was true." Chills raced up his spine as Sam involuntarily stiffened.

The arms that were loosely around him tightened in a comforting way that had him relaxing and he calmed enough to listen to the man. "We are the night walkers that most believe to be fantasy, the predators of the earth." Sam nodded, knowing that Dwayne would see his encouragement to continue. "I was the third to be changed and brought into David's clan. Marko was the first, having been a friend of David's in their mortal lives. Then there was Paul, merely for his exuberant fun loving nature." There was a small pause as he leaved forward, resting his chin on Sam's shoulder. There was a slight falter in his voice, but Sam had trouble picking the half truth.

It seemed as though Dwayne was grappling for the words that refused to come to him, but Sam just waited patiently; knowing that when he found the proper words for what he needed to say then he would speak. All of this was so strange. With anyone else, Sam would have been offering up words trying to help the opposite organize their thoughts; yet with Dwayne he somehow just knew that the man always had his thoughts organized and that when he spoke it would be well thought out...never brash. There was a nagging feeling that he should be wary of everything in the back of his mind; at least for the sake that Dwayne just admitted to Vampirism and still here Sam sat with not even the slightest fear.

"By the time I was brought into the group, David and Marko had been this way for nearly thirty years. Paul had been around for seven and apparently had spotted me from across the beach one night." Sam leaned back against his chest, bringing his hand up to hold one of Dwayne's as the man continued his story, "Fresh out of high school at the age of nineteen. My parents had always pushed for me to get out of Santa Carla, so I was a scholarship student and had a full ride to Yale." The mans fingers entwined with Sam's as they seemed to melt together. "The night before I would leave north, my friends had taken me to the pier as a farewell. That was the night I was changed."

This time, Sam couldn't help the question before it was out of his mouth, "Was it against your will?" There was another moment of silence and for a second Sam thought that Dwayne wouldn't continue with the story. Guilt flooded him at the thought and he was about to apologize for interrupting when the man squeezed Sam's hand comfortingly. He let Dwayne think his response over once more, all thoughts of insulting the man gone from his mind. They shifted a bit as he brooded, into a more comfortable position with the man leaning up against one of the wooden beams.

Dwayne breathed in deeply and sighed, "It wasn't so much against my will, as it was David finding me when I wandered to the end of the pier alone and pretending to be an acquaintance. He offered me a drink to celebrate my leaving and I took it." A knot tied itself in Sam's stomach and if Dwayne weren't so comfortable with the tale, then he would have become upset. "The glass had been filled to the brim with the wine, as David calls it. His blood, though it tastes sweet like the liquor, is what started my change. I never saw the sun again."

Sam was shocked when Dwayne went directly into his next thought, "At first I resented them. All of them for what I had become. In the beginning, it was hard for me to kill yet over time I came to terms with it and suddenly it was as if I actually enjoyed it. Not taking the life of a mortal, but the hunt that was natural to my kind. It is never enjoyable to end a life; though it is our only source of nourishment. Mortals are naturally a night walkers food source." Everything kind of clicked together and Sam found that he actually understood. Vampires were real and just like a cow to a mortal, humans were to a vampire.

"Know that I will never harm you Sam. If I am to be honest, I do not think that I would be able to even if it was something I wanted." Confusion swept through Sam at the words and he turned slightly to face Dwayne. Though his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, the mans face was still shadowed and he couldn't see his eyes. "According to David, when vampires were created they were given a specific mortal mate as an apology for our blood thirsty ways." For the first time since Sam had met the man, he could literally feel the nervousness rolling off of Dwayne in waves. "Sam, I believe you are mine."

Every single thought in Sam's head came to a screeching stop as the words replayed themselves over and over again. He took in a deep breath suddenly wishing that he wasn't facing the man, for he was sure that Dwayne could see that his face was flushed red. There was a moment as he carefully thought out his next response as Dwayne patiently waited, "I am utterly new to this entire thing. And I hope you do not take offense because that is the last thing that I want. However, while I understand what a mate is...I am unsure as to what it entails." He paused once more before sighing, "Does it having anything to do with my strange attraction to you?"

The relieved chuckle that wracked Dwayne's body sent Sam's face flaming up again as the man pulled them closer together, "More or less. I like to believe that if I were mortal that I would have drifted to you regardless; and yes, that is one of the main reasons that I suspect that we are destined for one another. The creators created you as my mate. Though Sam, I will not force you if there is another path you wish to take." Quiet enveloped them then in a comfortable silence as Sam thought over the things that Dwayne had said to him.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before speaking, "At this point, I will be honest; I am quite drawn to you regardless and it seems a little late in the game to walk away." Dwayne's arms tensed around him and he could swear that he could see the man smiling faintly in the darkness. Breath fanned across his cheeks and without a single warning, warm lips connected with his own and after a moment his fingers entwined into Dwayne's hair.

It didn't go further than that small peck on the lips as Sam was the one to back away, and almost fell out of Dwayne's lap when the man tried to follow. "Do you think that we could take it slow though? I want to treat this as an actual relationship. There need to be dates, and wooing. So much wooing."

Rather than the disappointment that he expected, Dwayne simply nodded in understanding. "Of course, we'll take it easy." Everything around them slowly began to lighten until finally Sam was looking straight into those hazel eyes that he seemed to admire so much, "I should get you home." Within moments they were off of the ground and Sam was looking down at the city below them. Dwayne stepped through the window to Sam's bedroom and deposited him on the bed. "Sleep well and I will meet you tonight." With one last kiss he stalked to the window and he was gone.

Sam smiled gently as his fingers found his lips. Dwayne had stolen his first kiss without even realizing it. He sighed as he laid back on his bed, his thoughts drifting back to the mans story. Slowly his eyes closed and he felt himself relax to the images of their talk. However they flew open again as a body hovered over his own. Lips connected with his throat and as he glanced down, he found Dwayne between his legs. The man stripped Sam of his shirt before attacking his neck once more, effectively silencing any protests.

Hands roamed all over his skin, burning everywhere they touched. Sam threw his head back against the pillows as those lips finally began trailing from his neck down his body. His fingers laced through Dwayne's hair, pulling roughly as the man nipped along the skin meddling little twinges of pain with the pleasure. Never had he suspected that he would be into pain, but the man made it feel so nice. He may have never experienced this with anyone else, but from the feelings coursing through him, Dwayne was very skilled at this.

Soon enough a tongue joined those teeth and Sam groaned as it laved at his nipples encouragingly. Then a sharp stab of pain radiated through his chest as Dwayne changed from teasing to claiming in all but a few seconds. Four prominent bite marks surrounded his right nipple and the man merely smirked at his work before giving attention with his tongue again. Those chilled hands began to run down further, tugging at the pants that he wore trying to get the ties undone. Though patience was wearing thin and the ties were soon shredded; the pants thrown away.

The man leaned back on his knees to admire the gorgeous being laid out before him; open and wanting for him. He sighed in pleasure as he lowered back down and provided another firm bite just above Sam's hip sending waves of chills running their way up his spine. Sam bite his lip then, so close even though Dwayne had yet to actually touch him. Then the man altogether bit into his thigh and Sam yelled as everything flashed white.

His hip hit first as Sam plummeted to the floor. As he groaned at the pain radiating from his impact he opened his eyes properly and glanced around the room. Sunlight streamed through while the curtains fluttered in the light breeze from the open window. With a sigh he stood up from the floor, but as he did everything about his pants felt sticky. He would have laughed if he hadn't just dreamt about Dwayne, but everything tolled heavy on his mind as he moved to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Taking it slow was officially going to be harder than he first thought.

* * *

  _...When the hour is nigh,_

_And hopelessness is sinking in,_

_And the wolves all cry,_

_To fill the night with hollering._

~defy~


	10. Chapter 10

~defy~

_Making eyes at this husk, around my heart,_

_I see through you and we're sitting in the dark,_

_So give me your filth, make it rough,_

_Let me, let me, trash your love..._

* * *

 Carousel music chimed along with the chatter of the crowd as Sam stood in the line to get on the ride with Michael. When his brother had finally found him the next day trying to hide out down on the beach, the older had literally yelled himself red in the face. To say that he had lost a piece of the trust with Michael was putting it gently, but Sam knew that he could easily gain in back. If he could do it over, he would not have changed anything. He loved his brother very much, but at that moment both of their lives were hanging in a tangled glistening web and without the proper information they could easily perish.

With one wrong move they could have fallen to the darkness with no knowledge that it had existed in the first place and Sam hadn't been willing to take that chance. As an up front apology to Michael, Sam had offered to take him to the boardwalk and to buy them dinner and ice cream. Only after staring at the younger with wary eyes for a few minutes did the older finally agree; with the condition that they went before nightfall. It pricked at Sam to think of being dragged away before he would be able to see Dwayne, but he would stall as long as he could.

The few people that were waiting to ride were allowed to board and find their seat as Sam rushed towards one of the horses that he had seen earlier; a dark horse with purple straps. He lifted himself onto the horse as Michael sat on one of sled-like seats just in front of him. When everyone was on safely the glassy eyed operator started the ride with a sigh and they slowly began to spin. All around him everything blurred together, but he watched on each turn as the sun set. Just as the last beams dipped below the horizon the carousel began to slow.

He firmly ignored the look from his brother as the world quickly gave way to the night. When the ride stilled he carefully got down, walking towards the exit. There was a shout behind him and Sam whipped around to find Michael being forcefully sat back down into his seat by David. Fingers entwined with his and before he even looked he knew that it was Dwayne. It took everything in him to not stop the man from making his brother ride again, but if Dwayne followed David with unblinding trust, Sam knew that no harm would come to Michael. With a silent gaze the man led him away into the crowd and towards the food booths.

It was as if Dwayne could sense everything that Sam was feeling, because as they made it to the line of delicious smelling stalls he directly got into a line for pizza. Sam couldn't help his smile as they quietly waited for the line to shorten. By the time they had gotten his food and a drink, Marko had found his way over to them and they all sat at a picnic table by the railing. After eating half of his pizza he finally looked up to where Marko sat watching the sea of people, "What exactly is David speaking with Michael about?"

The arm around his waist tightened a bit at the question as Marko glanced over still chewing on his pinkie, "Just of the things that Dwayne spoke with you." As Sam went over the discussion in his head, his brow furrowed together. There was a small chuckle from the curly haired man as he winked, "While Dwayne found you Sam, David found Michael." Then everything melded together and Sam had to force himself not to choke on his pizza. It wasn't a particularly funny situation to be going through, so he shouldn't be finding it humorous that Michael is finding himself in the same richety boat.

Michael was more stubborn that Sam would ever be and Sam prayed that he would at least listen to what David had to say without blowing up. He could just imagine all of the tension that would be surrounding the group like a fog until Michael finally thought about it in a mature manner before giving any kind of answer. With his own tension between himself and Dwayne, he wasn't sure how much of his brothers he could handle. Beside him Dwayne shifted and he was suddenly aware that he had completely zoned out. In front of him Marko erupted into laughter as Paul appeared beside the table out of the crowd.

"Why do I always just miss the punch line?" At this even Sam started laughing with Marko, even though he felt a pang of pity for the man. Paul just looked to Dwayne in confusion before sighing and sitting next to the curly haired man, putting an arm around his waist. When his laughing abated he watched as Paul rested his chin on Marko's shoulder and pulled him closer. There was no protest from the shorter and instead he just sank into Paul with a small sigh as he began to once more eye the crowd. Sam's question was hanging silently in the air as he glanced to Dwayne who only nodded gently.

At the go ahead Sam turned to Paul who was already watching him with a smirk, "You want to know about Marko and I?" The fact that the man was more alert would have shocked Sam if it hadn't been for the fact that he was sitting as the mate to a supposedly mythical creature with his friends. "Marko found me when I had just moved into Santa Carla with my parent, much like Dwayne found you." Marko cocked his head to the side as an amused smile came to his lips, obviously having told this story before. "My parents weren't anything to be proud of but being around Marko made everything feel better and we connected like magnets."

There was a snort from the shorter, who finally looked Sam in the eye, "He would put it like that all romantic. David had told me about mates just years after my change and unlike him, I searched up and down for mine. While David knew that his mate would find him eventually, I was impatient with mine." At this it was Paul's turn to snort, "I was needy and rough with him. Everything started off sexual and love came later." Dwayne actually rolled his eyes at that while Paul leaned in and began to faux whisper in Marko's ear.

"That drive never went away though." Blood rose to Sam's face in a blush that flushed down his neck, disappearing into his shirt. Marko's eyes flashed in mischief as Paul noticed, "I wonder how far that blush goes." It was then that Dwayne stood from the table, gently pulling Sam up with him. He began leading the younger into the crowd with a shout from Paul following them as the two lovers cackled, "Dwayne! Come back! I was just messing around!" Sam snickered at the way that Dwayne was behaving; his expression was blank, though his actions spoke volumes. Whether it was possessive or jealousy, it was a bit more adorable than strange.

Together they easily navigated their way from shop to shop, until they walked into one lined with different kinds of jewelry and decorations. Sam wandered around the counters as Dwayne stood near the entrance looking over a rack of signs. Finally he found a case of intricate rings. One in particular caught his attention and he actually smiled when he saw it.

It reminded him a lot of Dwayne with it's black steel and winding make. Vines wrapped all around each other in a circle. One day possibly, Sam thought. Sighing softly he made to go back to the man, when he almost ran into his chest. "Do you like it?" He followed the mans gaze back to the jewelry case. It sounded much more like a statement than a question as Sam simply nodded.

"It sort of reminded me of you." The words sounded strange as they rolled of his tongue, but they didn't seem out of place. Suddenly Dwayne was flagging over the clerk and Sam's eyes went wide. Before he could even make to stop Dwayne, the ring was being taken out of the case and placed on his left ring finger. Sam marveled as the ring fit snuggly around his finger as if it was meant for him. "Wait, Dwayne." The younger said softly as he continued to admire the ring.

It was strange that it didn't feel heavy or out of place; that he didn't feel out of control. "I know that I don't want to think of any other path but this one." He took one of Dwayne's hands in his as he spoke, looking little more than guilty. "But I want to be able to know with absolute certainty that this is the best path for both of us. It will still be here when we're ready." The man took Sam into his arms, forcing him to wrap his arms around Dwayne's neck in the process.

There was a sigh by his ear and Sam shivered against the taller, "Soon then." The meaning behind Dwayne's words slammed into Sam with full force and before he could stop himself he gently pecked the man on the edge of his mouth. The hands around his waist ran up and down his sides soothingly and Sam pulled away with a small smile. Dwayne truly wanted him to be comfortable with this arrangement, in which their free will was being hindered.

"Thank you." It was whispered so quietly that he was sure only Dwayne could hear him and finally his smile was returned. He was assisted in removing the ring and allowed the clerk to place it back into the case. Their fingers entwined as they wandered back out onto the boardwalk and to a quiet place where they could watch the water.

Footsteps approached them from the side and they looked to find David walking a quiet Michael to them. "It's time for dinner." The man said before casting one last glance to Michael before going off towards the beach. Dwayne squeezed his hand before releasing it and following after David. Sam kept his eyes trained on the man until he disappeared completely from sight before turning to his brother. His slate eyes were flickering from place to place as if millions of thoughts were zooming around his head and he couldn't sort them.

Empathy washed through Sam, knowing exactly how his brother was feeling. Without a word, he took his brothers arm in his and led him towards where the bike was parked. They made their way through the sea of people and even though he was out of it, Michael kicked started the bike and drove them up the hill to the house. When the older left the bike in the drive and walked into the house, Sam sighed and rolled the bike into the garage himself in case it rained. He prepared himself for at least a few days away from Dwayne to help Michael come to terms with everything.

* * *

  _...I will sing to you everyday,_

_If it will take away the pain,_

_Oh and I heard you've got it, got it so bad,_

_Cause I am the best you'll never have._

~defy~


	11. Chapter 11

~defy~

_If I leave here tomorrow,_

_Would you still remember me?_

_For I must be traveling on now,_

_'Cause there's too many places I've got to see..._

* * *

 Roaring reverberated through the walls and Sam ripped himself away from his bed, nearly flying to the window. As he looked down he saw the taillights of Michael's bike disappearing down the hill. It just an hour past nightfall and Sam hadn't expected Michael to be ready to face David again. Rushing around the room, tripping a few times, he grabbed his sneakers and put them on before running out of the room. His feet banged against the wooden stairs as he rushed down them, then swung the door open so hard that it hit the wall with a loud crack.

He jumped off the porch and hurried to uncover his bicycle from it's place in the garage, before getting on and peddling down the hill as fast as he could. The street lights flashed by him as he took a deep breath to calm himself, a stressed cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. It wasn't that he was necessarily afraid that Michael would hunt them down, he knew for a fact that he would. Fear of losing Dwayne due to his brothers actions however, that was what tore at his nerves. If his brother was persistent enough, he didn't know how Dwayne would react.

While he wanted to be fully trusting that Dwayne would be respectful that Michael is under a load of stress and wouldn't fight back, he just didn't know the man well enough to believe so. He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from letting out a frustrated yell. It would take Michael flying off by the seat of his pants for Sam to realize that he was in deep shit if they couldn't figure this out civilly. Of course he wouldn't just send Dwayne away, the man had said they could go slow and if Sam had anything to do with it they would go about having an actual relationship.

Doubt began to cloud his vision, but he supposed that he had Michael alone to thank for that. If it didn't work out between himself and Dwayne, much less Michael and David; he didn't even want to think of the possibilities. Yet images rushed through his head like a picture show. Would they be killed? Would they be forced to leave? He didn't even know Dwayne well enough to say that the man was anything other than patient, but how far could that patience stretch? Sam flinched at the thought of David, who he had yet to see an act of patience from at all.

When he peddled into the parking lot, he darted in and out of cars before finally skidding to a stop next to his brothers bike. He could hear the metal frame of his bicycle hit the ground as it tipped over, but he had no time to turn around and right it. Everything rushed passed him as he raced through the crowd, keeping an eye out for either his brother or the gang. The comic shop, ice cream parlor, and jewelry store all blurred by as he continue to push his way through the pier. Just was he was about to pass the stairs to the beach, a shout to his left caught his attention.

He turned to find Michael standing in front of David and the others, yelling at what seemed to have been something that Dwayne had said. He gasped in horror as his brother took a hard swing at the man. The fist connected with his jaw with a sickening crunch, but with Michael's reaction of pain he was sure that it was his knuckles that had broken or at least been sprained. Jumping down the stairs Sam ran forward and threw himself between the two just as his brother had crouched in order to tackle Dwayne.

"Mike, you stop this right now!" Sam yelled while he skid to a stop, sand flying up as his sneakers slipped. He took that upset stance, pointing at him as if he could actually stop his brother from attacking Dwayne. He knew that if Michael really was out for blood that he wouldn't be able to do anything physically to stop him. "I know that you are in a state of shock. That you just aren't processing the information. It's hard. I know it is Michael cause I'm going through it too."

"Get out of my way Sammie, I can't let him bother you." Sam looked back and motioned to Dwayne with a frantic smile.

"Listen, Michael, please. I know that it isn't something that either of us imagined to be possible. I know what David discussed with you Mikey." His brothers eyes widened and Sam flinched, thinking of how this could have been more avoidable if he had just explained everything to Michael as things had happened. "Dwayne and I are the same. It isn't something convenient, I know it isn't. But I feel drawn to him. As if we really are made for each other and I am giving it a chance."

He sighed a bit before finally giving into the near hyperventilation as he placed his hands on his knees and breathed deeply. There was a moment before he felt a hand on his shoulder and knowing that it was Dwayne, he straightened up to lean against him instead. When he opened his eyes Michael was staring at him, no longer cradling his fist; as if he couldn't feel the pain anymore. He ran his fingers through his hair roughly, for the first time actually listening to what his brother was saying. All of the things that David had told him last night; he sighed as he tried not to be sick.

His body turned as if to stalk off, looking back for only a moment, "I'm not believing and strong like you Sammie. Who knows where you got those genes. It all sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me." Then he was walking calmly away from the group and up the stairs to the dock disappearing in the crowd. Sam watched him go with sad eyes. Tears burnt behind them as he squeezed them shut and breathed in with a shudder. A hand not belonging to Dwayne laid on his arm and he looked up into the eyes of Paul who was blinking back tears of his own.

Sam chuckled to himself even though the tears started to spill, "Why are you crying?" There was a soft laugh from the man and Sam knew that there was no other reason than the empathy of understanding what it was like to be in their place. Paul had gone through this entire thing just like Sam was, like Michael was. He wasn't the vampire in the relationship; he had been the mortal mate. All of this had already happened to him and now, he was feeling the pain of his own experience all over again by watching Sam and Michael have to go through it.

Paul smiled softly, wiping at a few stray tears as he held his hand out for Sam to take, "I believe that it is time that we seriously discussed Marko and I." With a comforting squeeze from Dwayne, he took the hand and allowed Paul to lead him further down the beach. Once they were far enough out of ear shot, Paul found a log for them to sit on and he straddled it as Sam sat next to him. Comfortable silence enveloped them, but Sam didn't say a word; giving Paul the chance to gather his thoughts. "I was eighteen when Marko revealed himself to me."

"Marko had been a night walker for almost twenty three years when he found me. We didn't start like you and Dwayne, Sam." Paul looked him in the eyes with a strangely serious gaze, "My mate was very impatient with me and while he didn't force me to mate with him, we became sexual very quickly. It was the only thing for months that tied us together, our physical attraction. He wanted in my pants, believing a sexual life meant a healthy mate-ship." He sighed as he looked out towards the water by the shore, "Coming from a broken home, I liked the attention and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. As long as it was him showing me attention, then I consented."

Sam's heart wrenched in pain for the man in front of him. Just the idea that he had been emotionally neglected by Marko for so long almost pissed him off. Paul then laughed, "I was quite stupid back then. Thinking that the way we functioned was love. That it was anything other than petty sex. It was five months into our, rendezvous, that Marko finally told me what he was and what I was to him." His green eyes flashed back to Sam, tears still falling in unison with Sam's own. "I didn't take it well. Nearly like how Michael is taking to David. I began to avoid Marko at all costs, believing that he would only ever want me for my body."

There was a bang behind them and Sam whipped around to see a group of hippies down the beach, having thrown gasoline into their bonfire which now burned high into the sky. When he turned back to Paul, the man was smiling again, "It took my avoidance for him to learn that sex was just a minor part of a healthy relationship. He began leaving me little gifts and notes. Trying to get my attention again, to court me like he should have in the beginning. After a while, with full knowledge that it could backfire, I finally gave him the chance." Reaching into his baggy shirt he pulled out a chain around his neck and showed Sam the charm hanging from the end.

It was a simple plain ring of brass, but it shown brightly in the faint light from the fire. "This was my engagement ring. He got down on one knee and everything. I wore it in the months leading up to our mating, and have worn it like this ever since." At Sam's confused look he just winked, "A ring doesn't help lure someone away from their friends." Sam sighed at the image, knowing that Paul was meaning their feeding antics. "It was a very bumpy start for Marko and I. We were polar opposites, but we were truly made for one another. I know that it is hard for you and very complicated for Michael, but with your encouragement and mine; I'm sure that we can help Michael come to terms with it."

A moment went by as Sam thought over everything Paul had just told him, "Thank you for telling me everything Paul. I guess we all go through some kind of tension huh?" All Paul did was grin with a nod, "Will you have this conversation with me again Paul? When we have Michael with us?" The man nodded again as he stood from the bench. Sam took his offered hand and was pulled to his feet. As they began slowly walking back towards the boardwalk, Paul wrapped an arm loosely around his shoulders. "Do you really think that everything will get easier?"

Paul hesitated before he spoke, "I can't promise that it will get easier. If Michael just doesn't want to accept it then there is nothing that we can do and David will eventually feel the need to take Michael anyway. You have already shown understanding to your mate-ship with Dwayne, so you've taken that first step and for you, yes, I believe everything will go easier and more smoothly than it did for me. We can only hope that Michael will soon believe and accept what is inevitable." The knowledge that Michael could potentially be take by force if he did not make an effort to understand left a bitter taste in Sam's mouth; but he knew that the only thing he could do was encourage his brother.

There was a small flinch from Paul as the man put a hand to his forehead as if he was hearing something. Suddenly the mans face went white and a nervous feeling rose in Sam's stomach. Without explaining Paul grabbed his hand and took off in a dead sprint towards the pier, Sam keeping up the best that he could. As they made it up the stairs and a short way through the crowd, they escaped the sea of people and out towards the end of the pier. There at the end David stood menacingly over the fallen gypsy girl, with Michael pushed up against the railing behind him. The only thing stopping David from swinging down was the little boy between him and the girl. Sam's eyes widened, it was Laddie.

* * *

  _...But if I stayed here with you now,_

_Things just couldn't be the same,_

_'Cause I'm as free as a bird now,_

_And this bird, you'll can not change._

~defy~


	12. Chapter 12

~defy~

_But you led 'em to our hideout,_

_Forced their way inside now,_

_They want us to surrender, to surrender,_

_But I could go all night right here..._

* * *

 Even in the middle of the pier with people flooding around them like water around a stone in a riverbed, everything went surprisingly silent in Sam's ears. All he was focused on was the small boy standing in front of the ever intimidating figure of David, arms thrown out to the sides and nearly flinching back into himself trying to protect the gypsy girl; the only mother figure he knew. David's arm was still held in the air, frozen for a moment in almost shock at the audacity of the boy that he had kept after his moment of error. Horror raced through Sam as the man pulled his hand back a little further, feeling his feet move under him as he tried to get to the boy first.

Those ice filled eyes narrowed as Sam threw himself in front of the boy, glaring up at the man. The hand stopped half way through the swing again, David once again thrown off kilter by someone getting in his way for the second time. Sam kept his stance even as he felt two small hands grip the back of his shirt, burying their face into his back. One of his hands reached around his back to hold the boy closer as best he could as he still held a hand up in defense against David. There was a low growling to his left and when he glanced to the side, Dwayne was snarling at the leather clad man.

By the answering growl from David, Sam was sure that he had just formed a rift between the two. "Don't undermine me Dwayne." David said so lowly, it was a wonder that Sam caught it. Behind David, Michael looked to Sam with a dazed look; as if he was waking from a dream and he just now remembered everything that happened. His eyes were wide, almost wild, as he tried to melt through the railing. It was as if everything about their situation suddenly clicked and he was losing it. Of course, Sam knew that at some point he would have figured it out; though he didn't expect it to be so soon. Extreme circumstances meant heart wrenching realizations.

Once more, this time without David's notice, Michael ran into the crowd without looking back. Sam frowned as his heart wretched, hoping that he and Paul would be able to talk some sense into him before it was too late. "I haven't...but he is my mate, is still human. You have no authority over him and I will protect him." Looking away from the crowd, he found Dwayne blocking him from David; unable to see over his shoulders. With a sigh he leaned into the mans back, as Laddie shifted closer to him as well. The answering growl from David sent shivers up his spine and he felt Dwayne tense in response.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Marko stood in front of Paul with a set look of indecision on his face. Paul answered his glance with what was supposed to be a comforting smile promising that everything would be alright, but Sam could tell that he wasn't sure. Marko seemed to be torn on whether he should intervene between David and Dwayne or whether he should just leave them be; it was like he couldn't decide if they would really tear into each other or not. Finally he seemed to come to a decision and stepped forward a little, though Paul still kept a firm grip on one of his hands. "Look guys, this isn't worth fighting over. Dwayne, just stand down man."

After a moment, finally the man relaxed and nodded to Marko. Sam watched as a clawed hand gripped over Dwayne's shoulder and with a blink the two were gone. Confusion slammed into him until he heard wind whistling above them and looked into the sky. He couldn't see it in the darkness, but he knew that David was flying away with Dwayne; away from the crowds to handle this the only way they knew how. Worry wracked through him as Marko followed quickly and Paul stepped over to him. "They'll be find Sam. This is just something that has been hovering about since they found the two of you. There's been this overwhelming need to establish dominance between the two of them like their in a heat." He paused for a moment with a sigh, "Like dogs."

Paul watched the horizon for another few minutes before finally turning away and Sam knew that they had left his sight. Turning slightly he pulled Laddie against his front as he glanced around the boardwalk. He found that the gypsy girl had escaped during the confusion and Sam frowned. He knew that she had to resent the fact that she was kept around to care for the boy, but surely she had developed some matron feelings for the child. "Where did she go?" Anger coursed through him as Paul sniffed the air discreetly. As he cocked his head this way and that, Sam knew that she was gone.

"There's her scent, but then it mixes with diesel fuel at the center of town." White flashed at the corners of his eyes as he saw the gypsy girl like a motion picture. She picked a wallet from someone's pocket as she rushed through the crowd towards main street. She stopped at a red light as she flagged down a truck that was heading up the coast and asked for a ride. The strange men in the front of the car gave her an glance up and down before offering their services to take her to the next town.

Everything flashed forward as the car sped up the road and turned off onto a back road, driving for a few hundred feet until it was out of sight from any passing cars. The car began heaving around as screams echoed through the surrounding trees and Sam shook his head violently as he was forced out of the vision by Laddie tightening his grasp.

Paul was holding him steady with a worried look and Sam just shook his head. "She won't be coming back will she?" The boy melded further into him at the words, body shaking almost fitfully, and finally Sam had enough. He turned and lifted the boy into his arms, holding him close as Laddie burrowed his face into Sam's neck.

Without a word, Sam walked away from the scene. Disappointment coupled with confusion clouded his mind as he walked down the boardwalk until the familiar game booths came into his line of sight. He found a bench near a booth with fluffy duck toys hanging from the tent and sat down with Laddie in his lap. The boy leaned back a bit to adjust himself before laying back against Sam's chest.

For a long time the two just sat on that bench with Sam rubbing the boys back comfortingly. Finally after what seemed no less than an hour, Dwayne appeared out of the crowd. Sam looked up at the man with a sigh; unsure of what to say to him. At the brush of air passed his cheek, Laddie looked back at Dwayne before giving the man a small smile. "Hey Dwayne." Laddie's voice shook with the nervousness that still fluttered through him and Sam tightened his grip on the boy. With a small smile at the boy, Dwayne walked forward and sat beside them on the bench.

"Hey there little man." Dwayne sighed as his hazel eyes met with Sam's. They watched each other for a few moments before Sam looked back into the crowd and watched the people go by. "I apologize for before Sam. David would have struck you if I didn't step forward. I couldn't let him hurt you." Tears burnt the back of Sam's eyes as everything hit him at once. He wasn't sure of everything that had happened but he knew that it hadn't been good at all. From what he had seen, Michael had sought out the gypsy girl and David had reacted quite violently.

He had to wonder if Dwayne would have ever reacted the same way if Sam decided that he just wasn't cut out for this. It was like all of the information was suddenly piling up against him and suddenly Sam felt as though he couldn't breathe. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted the boy in his lap. Laddie sat up from his position and looked up into Sam's eyes with wide eyes far from innocent. Pain gripped Sam at the fact that while the boy was still a child, he had seen far to much in his short life to be innocent. "Star left me didn't she?"

The question had his breath catching in his throat and after watching Sam fluster about for an answer, Dwayne spoke up quietly making Laddie look to him instead, "Laddie, it was just time for Star to move on. To go out on her own..." Sam swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat, his former vision flashing to the front of his memory. "We'll take care of you Laddie, just like always." A shout down the boardwalk caught their attention for a moment, and thankfully to Sam, Laddie's attention was diverted. He wasn't sure how he felt about any of this and while he felt a strange protective sense for the boy, he didn't want to make promises that he didn't know if he could keep.

All around them lights from the stores, games, rides, and booths began to go out as they closed for the night. It felt like everything was coming to an end, even though he knew that this was just the beginning. Everything was about to move into overdrive and Sam could just feel that all that they knew was about to hit rock bottom. Michael finally realized that the things David told him were a reality and he wasn't handling it well. Though Sam was sure that it was no worse than the way he reacted; accepting it as if he'd expected it.

From their very first moments in Santa Carla, Sam had acted recklessly. Walking around as if there were no evil in the world. He invested all of his attentions in Dwayne and that was even before he knew that the man was a vampire; that he was his mate. The man could have easily been impatient and horrible. Now looking back, he felt foolish in feeling like nothing could go wrong. He was almost ashamed of his behavior.

To be honest, he didn't know where they were going to go from this point. He knew that he still enjoyed Dwayne's company and that he would still give it a chance. That wouldn't stop him from thinking everything out properly however. With a small sigh, the Rolling Thunder's lights flickered out and except for the occasional street lamp, darkness surrounded them.

* * *

  _...Between their crossfire,_

_We'll send them up a message,_

_I'll send the message,_

_We're saying "give it up, give it up"._

~defy~


	13. Chapter 13

~defy~

_And I'd give up forever to touch you,_

_'Cause I know that you feel me somehow,_

_You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,_

_And I don't want to go home right now..._

* * *

 Sunlight poured through the windows as the sheer curtains hung over the open window blew in the breeze. Sam sat on the edge of the bed as he reached up to rub against his eyes with the heels of his hands. His head was a mass of jumbled thoughts and to be honest, he couldn't really tell what was memory or vision. Around the edges of his room sat stacked boxes filled with multi-colored clothing and the circulating air from the ceiling fan was ruffling his hair. He could swear that he had already lived through this day.

To ease his worry, he stood and made his way to the window and looked out onto the front lawn. A sigh escaped his lips in relief when he didn't find the moving truck out front. If this was the present, then why were his visions suddenly bothering him again. Leaning against the window frame, he closed his eyes and tried to sort through the mass swirling of visions, memories, and thoughts. The hazel eyed man stalked by him in the crowded boardwalk. Dwayne, Sam thought with a small smile. Michael disappeared from his sight as he stood protectively in front of a small boy.

Laddie asking if Star, the gypsy girl, had left him and Sam being unable to convince himself to say yes; while knowing that the boy already knew the truth. Sam sighed as the memory of how he was delivered home the night before flitted behind his eyes. Dwayne taking Sam and Laddie in his arms, flying him home; telling the boy that he would see him tomorrow night and then watching the man fly out the window with Laddie safely tucked away. Then checking in Michael's room to find the room torn apart, but with his brother fast asleep in the middle of the bed still fully dressed. Sam forced the memories to simmer down and left his room.

He made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, before opening the fridge and taking out the orange juice. After pouring himself a glass and getting some cashews from the pantry, he went out onto the front porch and sat in the shade. The blue sky went on for miles and Sam watched as the clouds idled by. Just as he was finishing his small breakfast the front door opened and Michael stepped out onto the porch. Their eyes met and for the first time in days, his brother didn't walk away. Instead Michael sat down in the armchair next to Sam and without a word they just enjoyed the others company.

Hours drifted by and soon enough the both of them had fallen asleep; dozing in the chairs, warmed by the summer air. A hand on his shoulder woke him up as Sam blinked his eyes open. Michael was knelt in front of him, standing when he realized that Sam was finally awake. "Sammie," the older muttered as a hand rubbed the back of his neck in what looked to be embarrassment, "Can we talk?" Sam slowly nodded, before standing and following Michael off of the porch and around the back of the house. They slowly walked passed the horse pasture towards the open field on the opposite side.

The younger found a lazy patch of grass underneath one of the many trees and sat down where the suns rays could touch him. Just in front of him, against the bark of the tree, Michael slumped against the wood in what Sam knew to be defeat rather than laziness. It broke his heart to see his brother this way; and for a moment, his felt saddened that he didn't have a reaction more like Michael's. He felt so childish for his actions and really, he felt that he would gain more from Michael during this discussion than Michael would gain from him. His brother always was a realist.

They quietly sat there as the sun crossed the sky. Sam patiently waited for Michael to speak; after all, it was he who wanted to talk. The older seemed to turn in on himself as if indecision was wavering within him. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear his head; hoping that his visions wouldn't affect the seriousness of the situation. With a sigh, Sam sat up a little straighter as he scrunched his eyes tightly. It wasn't that they were confusing him; they were just persistently at the back of his mind, gauging for his attention and acknowledgement. Michael glanced his way with almost concern. "When did you know that they would be approaching us, Sam?"

At the question, Sam blinked hurriedly as he looked up to Michael with an almost white complexion. He swallowed nervously when the older just continued to look at him. "To be honest Michael, I knew from the first night that I would run into Dwayne." Michael sighed a groan as he leaned his head back against the bark of the tree, staring up through the leaves. "That was the first night that I saw him, though we didn't speak. Over the following nights, I had visions that pulled me towards him; like some kind of magnetic force. I didn't know who or what he was, but I knew that I needed to be near him. At that point in time, I didn't know about you and David."

The blood in Michael's face slowly drained, giving way to a nearly green hue. He took in a deep breathe and closed his eyes, "I had believed that it was Star." A sick feeling rose in Sam's stomach at the mention of the gypsy girl. "Every time I would see her I would feel that, and it wasn't until David cornered me that I realized that it was really him. I didn't notice, but all those moments with Star...he had always been there in the background." Sam nodded silently, understanding what Michael was saying. Even though he couldn't see David directly, he would feel his presence. Dwayne caused those same feelings in himself.

Images of Dwayne flashed behind his eyes, and Sam couldn't help but smile. "A few weeks after that first night, I allowed Dwayne to take me below the boardwalk." At the words, Michael tensed up and Sam was quick to abate his fears. "He explained who he was, what he was, and who I was to him. A night walker as they call it, those who stalk the shadows and prey on humans; vampires. He was the last of the four to be created, unknowingly. Paul, the rocker, as it turns out wasn't made to be a vampire. He is Marko's mate. Paul agreed to speak with you about his side of this story when you're ready."

"I just feel like all of this is some kind of dream. In what way were we prepared for this? On the carousel..." Michael paused to think his words through, "Dare I say it, he was nice and understanding. Granted I didn't know what to say and I didn't object. I just kind of walked around in a daze." With a nod from Sam he continued, "And then I found out that Dwayne had approached you in the same way and I just lost it. I was so confused and lost about everything, and you had accepted it so willingly and I just didn't know how so I ran. Then David found me on the boardwalk. Never have I been so frightened."

Sadness rose in Sam and for the first time in weeks, the real toll of everything finally weighed down on him. "That's funny because I wish I had been more like you Mike." At his brothers confused glance, Sam explained. "I accepted it so easily that now, if I wanted to, I'm not sure that I can back out. Not that I want to. There is this connection between Dwayne and I that I will never experience with anyone else. We were created for one another. However, if I decide that I am not cut out for this; the night life, I don't know if I will be allowed to walk away."

Michael nodded with a frown, "Even though I saw a side of David that I never want to see again, I know that it wasn't directed at me. It might have been my fault, since I sought out Star in the first place. But from the things that David was yelling at her, she knew not to come around me anymore. Yet she did." White flashed briefly and Sam watched as the gypsy girl watched from afar as Michael and David twirled around the carousel many times. Her eyes narrowed on the two and in resentment she flashed a wicked smile.

Sam shook his head with a sigh, putting his face into his hands. "She had been kept by David in order to raise the child." At this Michael rose an eyebrow and Sam nodded. "In a mistake by David, they accidentally killed the boys mother when he was a baby. That same night, he took Star and she resentfully raised the boy until today. She.." Sam hesitated with a grimace, "..won't be coming back Mike." The older looked as if he were going to ask about her, before deciding against it, "It wasn't pleasant Mike and I don't think you want to know. Let's just leave it at that."

At the assurance from Sam, Michael watched the horizon as the sun began it's decent. "They'll be around soon won't they?" At the question, Sam glanced out as the sun slowly disappeared; light giving way to the darkness. The last rays vanished beneath the sea and Sam looked up as the stars began to twinkle above them. The moon was absent and Sam figured that it was a new moon. Michael stood from his place against the tree before reaching down to pull Sam to his feet. "Are we going to the boardwalk tonight?"

With a shrug, Sam looked up at his brother. "I would like for us to talk with Paul, but if you aren't ready then we can wait for another night." In the back of his mind, it replayed that he had told Dwayne that he would see him again. Then again, the man could wait a couple more nights if it meant that Michael wasn't ready to face them yet; to face David yet. They walked back to the house and in through the back door. As they entered the kitchen, Sam could hear the distant roaring of engines and he sighed with a glance out the front screen door.

Michael joined him as lights flashed up the driveway, "I don't really believe that we have a choice anymore Sammie. This is something far bigger than even you predicted, isn't it?" A guilty flush crossed his cheeks and Sam leaned against Michael for support. He had never intended for things to go the way they had, but he knew that if they were to end up happy then there would have to be compromise on both sides. "I think that it is a good idea to talk with Paul. Maybe he can give some advice on how to go about this whole thing." Remembering Paul's story, Sam swallowed thickly. As the bikes were parked out front and the darkened figures shut of the bikes, he pushed open the screen door.

* * *

  _...And I don't want the world to see me,_

_'Cause I don't think that they'd understand,_

_When everything's meant to be broken,_

_I just want you to know who I am._

~defy~


	14. Chapter 14

~defy~

_Have heart, my dear,_

_We're bound to be afraid,_

_Even if it's just for a few days,_

_Making up for all this mess..._

* * *

The moment that Sam's sneakers hit the gravel of their driveway, David was swinging his leg over his bike to stand before Michael at his full height. His presence was intimidating and Sam instinctively stepped closer to his brother as something akin to a life-preserver should the older man need it. When Michael's fingers found purchase on the sleeve of Sam's jacket he wasn't surprised and he allowed himself to be used as a shield between them. David's face pinched in a displeased fashion, but he didn't move to strike Sam or make any verbal disagreement.

Marko and Paul appeared at his side, their expressions set in a way that was comforting. Sam glanced around the circle in an unnecessary search as he found Dwayne standing to his left. He allowed the man to entwine their fingers with a gentle squeeze and Sam was thankful for his silent support. They weren't here for a fight then. Sam wanted to sigh in relief. Without a word, he nodded towards the side of the house and began walking towards the field behind the horse pasture. On his way, Sam took hold of Michael's elbow with his free hand and led his brother along with Dwayne.

As they walked through the growing darkness he felt Dwayne release his hand and place a steadying grip on his upper arm as Sam stumbled in a hole. A warm feeling rushed through Sam at the thoughtfulness as surely Dwayne realized that without even the dim light of the moon, Sam could see less and less in the darkness of the night. The thought brought back the memory of just moments before in the drive way. For the second time, Dwayne had purposefully put himself between David and his goal; and not for the first time, Sam wondered if he was overthinking everything.

On his other side, Michael was practically trying to melt into him and Sam immediately put his arm around his brothers waist in an effort to calm him. It was obvious that Michael was afraid of the encounter and probably even more so considering that Sam was leading them to a secluded area with an entire pack of vampires. A fear that Sam hadn't experienced before sent chills down his spine, before he huffed lowly at his own nonsensical worries. Dwayne had said that he would never hurt Sam; had even gone so far as to have a dominance led fight with David in order to protect him. He felt like the act should have been worrisome in terms of Dwayne's dedication or rather instinctive nature in concerns to their mate-ship. How deep that nature ran, Sam wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Having lost himself to his thoughts, Sam was shaken from them when he was pulled down to the ground and onto Dwayne's lap. Michael was nearly sitting on the mans knee in order to stay close to him and after a moment Dwayne shifted slightly to allow Sam to pull Michael between his bent legs. He wrapped his arms around his brothers waist and balanced his chin his shoulder to see around the dim circle. Without the moonlight, Sam could see almost nothing except for what the far off back porch light illuminated. Which wasn't much, but it appeared that everyone had sat in a semi-circle around the base of the tree that he and Michael had sat beneath earlier.

There were long moments of silence in which Michael's tense muscles began to relax leaning back into Sam as he slowly realized that they weren't going to be killed. Then between one second and the next he broke it, "Sammie?"

"Yes?" Sam answered in a calm fashion as the attention of everyone in the circle tuned in to hear their words.

"How can you let him touch you?" The question could have been taken in many different offensive ways but Sam, and Dwayne if the smile pressed to the back of his neck was anything to go by, seemed to know that it was plain curiosity that fueled it.

With Dwayne's leverage, Sam shifted slightly so that he was more comfortably sprawled out between the two as he answered, "I know it will sound very strange to you, but I trust him." When Michael began to voice his protest, Sam placed a hand over his mouth to silence him. "I know that it sounds strange. I haven't known Dwayne very long, and even now I only know just the bare minimum about him. I agree that half of the information should have sent me running in the other direction, but I can't find it in myself to be afraid. There is something pulling me towards him, like magnets, that I can't explain."

Michael flexed his jaw enough to be able to speak and with a slight tremor in his voice he asked, "Explain that? How do you know you won't be hurt?"

Sam nodded against his neck, "Other than Dwayne telling me that he would never harm me, he proved to be very protective of me as well. While I'm not completely sure that emotions were involved as we've only started...let's call it seeing each other, as I believe it was more to do with instinct at the current time, when David raised his hand against me Dwayne stepped in."

"I remember that, it's why I felt alright to run again," Michael confessed as he sagged more fully against Sam's chest.

"I assumed as much," Sam said with another nod, "What you didn't see, was that after you left, a fight escalated between them because David was so upset about scaring you and jealous of Dwayne's progress with me." Silence permeated their little confession circle once more as Sam allowed time for Michael to acclimate to the new knowledge. When Michael's stiff muscles loosened slightly again, he continued, "I cannot speak for how much of David's upset was instinctual, but he _was_ upset. And Dwayne was _afraid_ for my safety."

"He kept you from being hurt?" The inquiry was so soft spoken that Sam barely caught it.

"He did. Later he apologized for the hostility as I'd never before seen him so...emotional before. At the time I was too shocked to say it, but I am very grateful to him for that. I don't regret stepping in to protect the boy, Laddie, but it also wouldn't have felt nice to be backhanded over it. In retrospect, I suppose that I unknowingly challenged David in that moment. At least, that's what I've gathered from the information that I've been told so far." Sam paused before turning towards where he assumed Paul's shadow to be, "Am I on track?"

Michael jumped at the sound of Paul's voice, as if he had forgotten that the vampires were there, "You've got it pretty much pegged. I hadn't expected you to catch on so quickly."

"I'm just good with puzzles. But you see Mikey," Sam smirked Paul's way knowing he would see it, before addressing his brother, "Even knowing that I had done something very stupid...which I would do again concerning Laddie...Dwayne stepped in and took the brunt of the anger for me. It has to count for something."

Paul spoke up again in a kind tone, "You don't know me yet Michael, but I'm Paul. I'm like you and Sam in the way that I was Marko's human mate." He chuckled after a pause, "You don't know Marko yet either, but that's besides the point. I just wanted to let you know that I am up for talking with you and Sam about all of the expectations, regulations, and all that jazz." Sam smiled encouragingly when Michael began to relax even more and Paul grinned, "From a former human to a current one, it's not as bad as you believe it is."

At that even Sam stiffened up at the words and Paul's teeth clicked together in the darkness as he seemed to realize what he'd just said. "You aren't human anymore?" Michael asked and Sam felt his brother shiver in his arms. Dwayne wrapped his arms around Sam's own waist in a comforting way, but even that couldn't stop Sam's raging thoughts. He had known that Paul wasn't human, but somewhere deep down he had ignored the issue much like Michael was freaking out over it now. As a human mate to a vampire, you would eventually mate to them and become a vampire yourself. It was a topic that Sam had hoped to discuss at a later time with Dwayne, not in a circle with the entire pack.

"You're right, I'm not a human anymore." Paul carefully constructed his sentences through tight lips, "That is part of mating with a vampire. However, we can continue that topic at a later time."

It occurred to Sam that the vampires could feel Michael's panic rising. In a last ditch effort to keep his brother grounded Sam leaned forward and whispered sharply, "You know how my eyes are different Michael, yes?" His brother nodded with a shudder. "You know that before coming here, I had difficulty seeing." Another nod. "You understand that I am now seeing clearly?"

Michael physically turned around in his arms and Sam felt his brother take his face into his hands, "Is it because of him?"

Pushing the worry of ousting his gift of sight to the back of his mind, Sam nodded, "It's because of Dwayne. When I am with him, like right now, I can hear myself think."

"You are completely aware right now?" Michael asked demandingly and Sam pushed himself to his knees.

"I'm here. Right now. In the present..." Sam stuttered off as the words he was speaking so forcefully, so adamantly clicked into focus, "...because of Dwayne."

It seemed that Michael came to the same conclusion and everything around them hushed into silence. Sam could feel the curiosity from the group around them as clearly as he could hear the waves of the ocean breaking against the shore and rock face at the bottom of the cliff. Even more clearly, he was putting together another section of pieces in the puzzle of his life. As far back as he can remember, Sam had unruly visions that clouded his head and ruined many of his younger years. Sam felt tears burning at the back of his eyes when Michael said his next thought word for word.

"You're here because of him."

"According to Dwayne, we were created for one another." At his answer, Michael pulled Sam off of Dwayne's lap completely and out of the circle of vampires. None of them followed as Michael didn't take him far.

"Now?"

"Flighty." Michael pulled him further away towards the house. "Foggy."

His research unfinished, his brother brought Sam all the way back to Dwayne and all but shoved him into the mans arms, "And now?"

Sam smiled tearfully, "Clear."

Michael dropped to his knees as tears filled his own eyes and he bowed his head forward in a way that broke Sam's heart. He gathered his brother into his arms once more as they cried and he felt Dwayne's strong hand rubbing soothing circles against his back. In a shattered voice Michael mumbled with a sour chuckle, "Having known about your eyes, this shouldn't be such a big surprise."

Sam laughed, "I suppose you're right."

As they both calmed down, they continued to hold one another and Sam smiled softly. Then Michael leaned back slightly as he aimed his eyes on where David sat in the darkness. "I'm sorry about the misunderstandings." Michael spoke softly as his fingers gripped at Sam's shirt tightly, "I'm not completely convinced, but I'm willing to talk. But first," He glanced Paul's direction, "I want to talk with him and Sam. If there's any chance of...this...happening, I need to hear what it's worth from him."

"I'll help the best I can Michael." Paul said in a relieved tone, grateful that he hadn't screwed things up.

Sam leaned into Dwayne once more, settling into his arms comfortably. "I believe that we've had enough discussion for one night no? This can wait until tomorrow," After leaving a small peck at the corner of Dwayne's mouth he stood and gathered Michael, "Meet us down at the bottom of the cliff tomorrow Paul and we'll continue our discussion then. Until then, let's sleep on what we've learned."

After making sure that Michael was asleep however restlessly in his own bed, Sam changed into his pajamas and laid down to the sound of engines roaring back down the driveway the way that they'd come. Before he could fall asleep however, a pair of smooth lips slanted over his own and Sam leaned up into Dwayne's arms. "Come to me after your meeting with Paul?" The words were whispered into his ear and Sam sighed at the feeling of Dwayne's lips trailing over his ear.

"I'll find you," Sam whispered back just as softly and the man pulled back to give him a final kiss. As Dwayne leaned back again Sam smiled, "as always." The reassurance made Dwayne smile in a way that Sam could only describe as fondly and just like that he was gone. With the curtains shuffling in the wind that drifted in from the window and the fan twirling above him, Sam fell into the first restful sleep since his arrival in Santa Carla.

* * *

   _...Light up, light up,_

_As if you have a choice,_

_Even if you cannot hear my voice,_

_I'll be right beside you dear._

~defy~


End file.
